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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22980481">101 Werewolves</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychoLynx/pseuds/PsychoLynx'>PsychoLynx</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Descendants (Disney Movies), Z-O-M-B-I-E-S (Disney Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Crossover, Werewolves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 05:47:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>22,625</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22980481</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychoLynx/pseuds/PsychoLynx</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos De Vil could have gone his whole life not knowing. If Cruella had had her way he would have gone his whole life not knowing. But sometimes things don’t go as planned. Sometimes, people become mysteriously ill. Sometimes, truths are forced to be revealed. Sometimes, people must choose their pack.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>106</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. "I've been cursed"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> I’ve been cursed <em> Carlos thinks as he wakes up in his dorm. His head ached. His chest hurt. His muscles felt weak. </em></em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’ve been cursed <em>.</em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> He forced himself to lean up with a groan. </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “Did you say something?” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> Carlos looked across the room to see Jay already up and ready for Tourney practice. He was a senior like Carlos and had managed to become team captain despite the odds. </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “Hardy har har.” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> Jay smiled as he turned to his friend, only for his face to quickly turn grim. </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “What’s wrong?” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “Do you feel okay?” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I HAVE been cursed <em></em></em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “You look awful.” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> Carlos looked down at Dude. </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “Dude’s right. You don’t look too good.” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “I’m fine. Just...sore.” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “From what,” Dude chimed in “Playing video games all day.” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “I don’t get sick.” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “Impossible, everyone gets sick.” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “I actually have to side with Carlos on this one. I’ve known him for years and I haven’t even heard him sniffle.” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “See, Dude, I’m probably just cursed.” </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em> “Say what you want, but you are sick. </em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <em> <em><br/>
</em> </em> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Carlos coughed into his hand as he got books out of his locker.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“Didn’t anyone ever teach you to cough into your elbow?”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Carlos looked left to see Jane. She had a bright red bow in her luscious locks today.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“I guess I ditched school that day,” he said as he leaned in for a kiss.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“Don’t kiss me,” Jane pushed him away.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“What’d I do?”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“You’re sick, and I’m not ruining my perfect attendance record for a kiss,”--she put her hand on his shoulder-- “Even if it is true love’s kiss.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Carlos groaned as he shut his locker.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Carlos walked into gym class (a place he definitely wouldn’t miss after graduation). Today, like every Monday, would be dedicated to running laps.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Yay.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Carlos began to jog his warmup lap (a practice he never fully understood) and try and figure out how he could have gotten sick.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Carlos didn’t remember going to the infirmary; he just woke up there with the nurse at the foot of his bed.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“You’re awake!” the perky little sprite squeaked as she looked up from her doll sized clipboard.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“You blacked out while running. We’re still running tests, but that nasty cough tells me upper respiratory infection.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“I’m sick?”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“Mhm,” the sprite smiled “There is probably something on top of it to make you faint, dehydration or the other, but we’re authorized to use magic here, so we should have you discharged by the end of the day.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“Discharged,” he nodded to himself before it hit him “Wait. I’m in the hospital?”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“You weren’t responding, so we were called. Are you experiencing any other symptoms?”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“Headache, soreness, but I’m not sick; I’m just a stressed senior.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“That might be, but look at it this way. We can get you out of gym class for a few days.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Carlos leaned back without relaxing “Thanks.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Cruella De Vil ran like a model, a speed walk that let her keep her posture and hide her stress. The hospital was her runway, despite its excess of sick people in drab gowns.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>She approached the receptionist.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“De Vil.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“Room 303.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>She barged into her son’s room without knocking, causing him to jump.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“There you are! What did that negligent school do to you?”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“Then why are you racking up a bill at this place?”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“I don’t know.”--He leaned up in his bed-- “They say I’m--” he was cut off by his own coughing “Sick.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Cruella turned white.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“I know. It’s ridiculous. Tell them I’m never sick.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“You better not be.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>“Thanks, Mom.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Cruella De Vil stared at the itty bitty closet in her room. It was hardly big enough to hold more than three coats, but the architect didn’t want the space to be wasted or the room to be shaped oddly.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>Carlos was staying overnight for observation. She had become used to the house being empty with him at boarding school, but now there was a presence in the closet. An untold past looming over her, unceremoniously stored in the back.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>She opened the door and took a moment to feel the furs, closing her eyes and trying to remember, trying to pretend. It didn’t feel right. It was just some wolf coat she had purchased decades ago before the Isle.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>She opened her eyes again and moved aside her pelts for better access to the back.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>She grabbed a cream white shopping bag.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p><p>It was time. As much as she hated it, it was time.</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. De Vil Wears Prada</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cruella De Vil entered her son's room, bag safely at her elbow like it was the latest Prada, to find her son still asleep on his cot.</p><p>“Carlos,” she said gently as she sat down on his bed with no avail.</p><p>She poked her son “Carlos?”</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>“Carlos!”</p><p>Her son jerked awake to her usual shrill.</p><p><em> Figures. </em> she thought <em> Try to be gentle with him once and he sleeps through it. </em></p><p>“Mom?”--he covered his face with his hands-- “I swear if I have to scrape your bunions while I’m sick--”</p><p>“This isn’t that kind of visit.”</p><p>“I’m not in the mood to fluff your curls either.”</p><p>Cruella smacked his arm with the back of her hand “I’m here because you're sick.”</p><p>“The nurse says it’s an upper respiratory infection. The fairies are working on it.”</p><p>“Those fairies don’t know jack about what’s happening,” Cruella mumbled before staring out into space.</p><p>Carlos rolled his eyes and caught a glimpse of a white paper bag with rope handles like he’d seen when Evie would come back from one of her high end shopping sprees.</p><p>“You came to show me what you’ve bought,” Carlos said disappointed but unsurprized.</p><p>“Oh!” Cruella snapped back to reality “This bag is not just any shopping bag.”--She put the bag between her and her son so that he could see in black cursive the words <em> De Vil -- </em>“It’s leftover from the glory days when there were stores devoted to my designs.”</p><p>Carlos pushed himself up a bit in bed. Unlike the other VK’s parents, his mother never spoke much about the days before her downfall. Carlos couldn’t blame her. She had clawed her way up then fallen hard.</p><p>Cruella stared at it longingly like she could hardly bear to give it up before forcing her eyes away and thrusting it onto Carlos “Take it.”</p><p>Carlos stared at the bag for a minute. He had never gotten much from his mom--or anything from his mom. The bag had yellowed to a cream over the years, but it was still astounding. He was getting a little piece of his mother’s pride.</p><p>“And the thing in it!”</p><p>Carlos jumped and frantically pulled out what was inside before even looking at it. He looked down at his hand and found he was holding a large leatherbound book. He opened it to the first page.</p><p>“This is a scrapbook,” he turned the page and saw a black and white polaroid (all that was available on the Isle) of his mother and a younger man.</p><p>Cruella put her red gloved finger over the man’s head “That man there is your father.”</p><p>Carlos was awestruck. Years of wondering, wishing, hoping that his mom would drop any hint about his father, forbidden from asking and incurring the wrath of one Cruella De Vil, only to have a photo of the pale freckled man placed in his lap.</p><p>He should have gotten sick a long time ago.</p><p>“I met him in the briars a few years after my banishment,”--she scooted herself to be next to her son-- “I had initially tried to make my own furs and his foot had been caught in one of my traps.”</p><p>“Love at first sight?” Carlos looked up, smiling at how his mom had been part of her own fairy tale on the Isle.</p><p>“Not even close,” she scoffed “I wholly intended on bashing him on the head and skinning him.”</p><p>“Oh…”</p><p>“But you know what stopped me? His eyes”--she placed her glove on his cheek-- “<em>Your eyes.”</em></p><p>Carlos looked at the close up of his father. They had the same eyes, same freckles, same white streaks in their hair.</p><p>“What was his name?”</p><p>“William.”</p><p>“William,” he repeated, making it more real.</p><p>“Dreadful name, I know--and we wanted to make you a junior!”</p><p><em> William De Vil, Jr </em> he thought to himself<em> I guess I wouldn’t be a De Vil though if I was a junior.</em></p><p>Carlos took in every part of the photo. He had so many questions, but none could come out.</p><p>“There is a reason why I’m telling this to you now, Carlos.”</p><p>Carlos felt panic set in “Because you love me and I have the right to know?”</p><p>“No,” she continued grimly “If everything had gone well, nobody that isn’t me would be seeing this.”</p><p>“Oh, no. You're dying, aren’t you?” Carlos had always imagined what life on the Isle would be like if his mother was dead. No more nagging, no more bunions, no more sleeping in the closet, but he was in Auradon now. He wasn’t ready to lose his mom.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Carlos sighed in relief. That was definitely some of the worst seconds of his life.</p><p>“Then what is it? If you’re not dying, it can’t be that bad?”</p><p>Cruella bit her lip in an unfashionable way “It has to do with why you never got sick as a child... and why you’re sick now.”</p><p>There was a pause that hung heavy in the air.</p><p>“Your father had a...genetic condition,” she began, choosing her words wisely “One that I thought you had not inherited.”</p><p>Carlos’s heart began to speed up again “What kind of condition?”</p><p>“Your father was not from Auradon. He was an explorer put under the dome by mistake.”--Cruella swallowed hard-- “Your father… had lycanthropy.”</p><p>Carlos stared at his mom “You mean like the former King Beast? You don’t have to worry about that. I have Jane so we can reverse it when it happens.”</p><p>“It’s not like that, Carlos!” she snapped.</p><p>Cruella covered her mouth then eyes. Carlos realized his mom was crying underneath.</p><p>“It’s not magical; it’s genetic.”--she dabbed away her misty eyes with her gloves so as not to ruin her makeup-- “You’ve probably only lasted this long because your only half werewolf.”</p><p>
  <em> Lasted this long?</em>
</p><p>It hit him.</p><p>“<em>I’m dying.”</em></p><p>Cruella nodded and started crying again “You’ve probably only lasted this long because you’re only half werewolf.”</p><p>“So what? I’m just going to die because I’m a werewolf?” he shot up and looked at his mom “And you never told me? I don’t even care about the second part. I can’t be dying. I have a life and a girlfriend and I just applied to Veterinary school.”</p><p>Carlos plopped back down next to his mom.</p><p>“Tell me what happened to him.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey, Everybody! Thanks for reading! I'm having a lot of hun writing this and making backstory. Hope you liked the chapter (and the pun)!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Hope or Denial</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> “He used to wear this necklace,” she said, removing a white quartz pendant from under her shirt “It was blue when I first met him.” She took it off and held it out to her son.
</p>
<p> “There was a power in it, he told me, that kept werewolves like him alive. When it ran out, he got sick and died.”
</p>
<p> Carlos took the pendant and stared at it in his hands. 
</p>
<p> “This isn’t magic. If it worked on the Isle then it couldn’t be. You said that he wasn’t from Auradon; did he ever tell you where he was from?”
</p>
<p> “He always referred to his home as simply the Forbidden Forest, but there are so many of those in Auradon.”
</p>
<p> “You said that he wasn’t from Auradon. Wherever he came from has to have more of these. Did he live behind anything kind of map?”
</p>
<p> Cruella thought for a moment then flipped to the back of the scrapbook to a drawing of Cruella with William signed at the bottom. She released the drawing from the photo corners and flipped it over to reveal it had been drawn on the back of a map. 
</p>
<p> “There,” Carlos pointed to the landmass right of the map “He only wrote down one city. This Seabrook place could have more of these things.”
</p>
<p> “I never even considered--I was trapped on the Isle even if I did.”
</p>
<p> “I know I may just be grasping at straws here, but I at least have the right to try. All I need is a ship.”
</p>
<p> He stared down at the map with his face lighting up. Call it hope or call it denial, he was going to Seabrook.
</p><hr/>
<p> The core VKs all sat around Carlos’s dorm with Mal looking absently out the window. There was tension in the air. 
</p>
<p> “And that’s about everything,” Carlos finished up. He hadn’t got too far into the details of his father--he could tell them that later when they could celebrate it-- but he had managed to force out what his mom had told him, wrapping the truth with his hope “I know how it sounds--”
</p>
<p> “How it sounds?” Mal snapped, turning to the main group to reveal heavy tears on her cheeks “Carlos your dying!”
</p>
<p> “Not dying, more like...cursed...but not with magic.”
</p>
<p> “Then with what?”
</p>
<p> “I don’t know!” Carlos took a moment to breathe “I only know what my mom told me, and, as I said, I think she told me the answer to--” Carlos burst into a coughing spell, leaving the other VKs to look at each other nervously “Well, that.”
</p>
<p> “Seabrook might not even be where he’s from; it might just be somewhere he went once. We need to look through the Castle Library for healing spells. Maybe one of them can…” Mal broke down crying. Evie, with her own tears, got up and hugged her.
</p>
<p> Carlos looked down at his hands. Seeing as her dad was Hades, God of the Dead, Carlos could understand why this could be worse on her. She knew someone who was capable of pushing back death but couldn’t due to celestial bureaucracy.
</p>
<p> Hades what in hot water due to Audrey as much as it was.
</p>
<p> A hand on Carlos’s back brought him back to reality. He looked up to find Jay standing next to him. 
</p>
<p> “I agree with you, and I’ll go with you wherever you do.”
</p>
<p> “Really?”
</p>
<p> “Yeah,” Jay gently punched Carlos’s shoulders “I was gonna take a gap year anyway. Whatever this Seabrook has is bound to have something cool to see.”
</p>
<p> Carlos smiled. Jay wasn’t touchy feely, but he was supportive in his own way.
</p>
<p> “I’m with Jay.” Evie chimed in “I’m not going to sit pretty and let you guys go on a dangerous quest.”
</p>
<p> Mal whipped her tears. “I still think we should try magic...but I’ll see if I can get us a boat from the royal fleet.”
</p>
<p> “We’re doing this then?” Carlos scanned his friends’ faces “Together?”
</p>
<p> Evie brought Mal closer to the boys and put her fist out “Together.”
</p>
<p> The others followed suit.
</p>
<p> “Together,” said Jay.
</p>
<p> “Together.”
</p><hr/>
<p> “Son,” boomed the Beast “Auradon needs leadership. You can’t just leave the kingdom willy nilly, especially if the queen is leaving as well.”
</p>
<p> “I can’t just stay here! Carlos could die; they need me,” Ben continued backing a bag for himself. Carlos had always been more Mal’s friend than his, but, even if Carlos was his worst enemy, he couldn’t let Mal and the rest of the VKs go to some far off land alone.
</p>
<p> “Honey,” Belle put her hand on her son’s shoulder “I know how you feel, but the Kingdom needs guidance. If you leave with no warning it will look bad.”
</p>
<p> “Your mother’s right,” The Beast said as he put his bear claw of a hand on his son’s shoulder “If this was diplomatic, things might be different—“
</p>
<p> “That’s it!”
</p>
<p> The Beast flinched his hand back at his son’s exclamation “What?”
</p>
<p> “You and Mom didn’t have a honeymoon. You travelled to the other kingdoms and united them. Tell everybody that Seabrook is a new potential ally and I can leave you guys in charge for a few weeks and it may even look <i> good <i>.”
</i></i></p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i> The Beast mulled the idea over “This could work, but we know nothing about this place. All we know is that there are allegedly werewolves. We don’t know if they’re friendly or warring or anything. You should bring some guards at least.”
</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i> “I’m going with the VKs, they know how to protect themselves. Besides, showing up with an army will make us look like we’re looking for trouble.”
</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p> “Showing up <i> without <i> any will make us look weak,” The Beast said through gritted teeth.

</i></i></p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i> “Honey,” Belle chimed in, giving her husband a stern look.
</i>
    </i>
  </i>
</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i> The Beast sighed. He might not be king anymore, but he was still a father “Just be careful.”
</i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i> “Don’t worry, Dad,” Ben said as he got back to packing “If anything goes wrong, I’ll just let Dragon Mal handle it.”
</i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i> The Beast knew he meant it as a joke, and, with all his heart, he hoped it would stay that way.</i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Progression</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The boat itself was a marvelous sight, five great sails and lightweight body, ready to carry them where they needed to go. With just a dash of magic whispered by Mal, the ship would need no crew.</p>
<p>Mal knew that, officially, her purpose was diplomatic. Ben explained the situation to her, and, while she loathed the implication that she would be working instead of having a honeymoon, she understood. </p>
<p><em>Downside of being good</em> she joked to herself <em>You end up saving your friends instead of eating strawberries in a castle.</em></p>
<p>She grabbed her bag and was ready to board when a familiar hand stopped her. She turned to the source.</p>
<p>“Dad!” Mal hugged the man “Come to see me off?”</p>
<p>“Wouldn’t miss it,” he said flatly.</p>
<p>Mal pulled away to see her father’s awkward smile “Something’s wrong.”</p>
<p>“Mal,” Hades pulled his daughter aside. When Mal saw how grim his face had become, she knew that he wasn’t there to say goodbye.</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>“Where you’re going... I haven’t been there, but something...supernatural’s going on there.”</p>
<p>“Be less vague, Dad.”</p>
<p>“People there don’t die like they should.”</p>
<p>“Well how <i><em> should </em><i> people die then,” Mal laughed.</i></i></p>
<p>“Mal, this is serious. I can’t tell why, but more people have died there than have ever lived there.”</p>
<p>“That’s impossible. You have to live in order to die.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know how it works. All I know is that you need to be careful.”</p>
<p>“I will.”</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>Jay threw his pack on a bunk in the hull not thinking, resulting in the bundle plopping to the ground when the ship rocked.</p>
<p>“I could never be a pirate,” Jay said as he leaned on his bunk</p>
<p>Carlos stared at nothing.</p>
<p>“Come on, Carlos,” Jay said as he took the bag from his friend “We can be bunk mates.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t tell her,” Carlos whispered, to himself more than Jay.</p>
<p>“Didn’t tell—” Jay realized who and stopped.</p>
<p>Jane.</p>
<p>Carlos started to tear up.</p>
<p>Jay put his hand on Carlos’s shoulder. </p>
<p>“I tried.”</p>
<p>“Hey, it’s okay.”</p>
<p>“I could barely even ask her to Cotillion and I had weeks.” </p>
<p>“Don’t you this to yourself, Carlos,” Jay turned Carlos so that he could look him in the eyes “What’s done is done, and you <em>will</em> see her again. Okay?”</p>
<p>Carlos nodded.</p>
<p>“I need to hear you say it.”</p>
<p>“I will see her again,” Carlos mumbled.</p>
<p>“Who again?”</p>
<p>“I will see Jane again.”</p>
<p>Jay smiled. He knew Carlos was going to be okay; he just needed to make sure Carlos knew it too.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>Ben sat down at the table where he kept his log and sighed as he picked up the quill.</p>
<p>“Day 6,” he muttered as he wrote “Nothing.”</p>
<p>He set the feather down and sighed. They left mermaid controlled sea three days ago, leaving only them and the vast nothing of international waters.</p>
<p>He heard the door open.</p>
<p>“Permission to enter, Captain,” Mal said playingfully. </p>
<p>“Granted,” he said as he turned away from the log. He needed the break.</p>
<p>Mal walked over to her fiancé and leaned on the desk.</p>
<p>“This is futile, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>Ben sighed “Don’t say that.”</p>
<p>“It’s been a week and he’s coughing every five minutes.”</p>
<p>“I get it; morale is low but—”</p>
<p><em>Thud</em> </p>
<p>Ben froze.</p>
<p>“You heard that, too, Mal.”</p>
<p>“Yeah…”</p>
<p>The silence was interrupted by Evie bursting in.</p>
<p>“Carlos fainted, again.”</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>Carlos opened his eyes to find he was below deck, Evie by his side.</p>
<p>“Hey, Carlos,” Evie said in her gentle voice.</p>
<p>Carlos groaned as he tried to push himself up “How long was I out?”</p>
<p>“A day and a half. We’ve been taking shifts.”</p>
<p>Carlos turned his face away from Evie, starting to feel like a burden to his friends. Maybe he should have just stayed and tried magic. Maybe he should be getting as far down his bucket list as possible. Maybe—</p>
<p>His thoughts were stopped by a fit of coughing.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>Mal stared at Carlos on the cot. His breathing was labored and punctuated by coughs. She agreed to take the sunrise shift, foolishly believing that it would be when he was most likely to be awake. Instead, it was a way to punctuate between sleepless nights and tired days.</p>
<p>Mal felt arms wrap themselves around her. He turned to find her fiancé and gave him an absent peck on the lips.</p>
<p>“He’ll be okay. He’s survived worse.”</p>
<p>Mal teared up “He’s survived worse because we’ve always had a fix.”</p>
<p>Ben simply held her a little tighter.</p>
<p>“You should be asleep.”</p>
<p>“Nobody’s asleep, Mal. Besides,” he pet Mal’s head a little bit “You need me right now.”</p>
<p>Mal put her head back into his chest.</p>
<p>A rumble of footsteps broke the silence. Both turned to see Jay catching his breath.</p>
<p>“Land Ho.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Seabrook</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zed Necrodopolis was in the rhythm of waking up at the crack of dawn for football, and no Saturday could stop that.</p><p>He pushed himself out of bed and made his way downstairs, grabbing some of the gross cauli-brains from last night from the fridge. </p><p>He stepped out of the house and let his sleep clothes become his running clothes. Now that he couldn’t hack his Z Band to get that added edge, he needed to work at football.</p><p><em><em>At least I can run though </em></em>all <em><em>of Seabrook now.</em></em> He thought as he passed the limits of Zombietown.</p><p>Life had gotten good. The way he saw it, there weren’t Zombies and Werewolves living in human society; they were all just living together in what was quickly becoming a melting pot.</p><p>He stopped for a rest and looked out at the sea. There was a vastness out there, gently coated in the rising sun. He had seen it a thousand times before, but today there was something new about it. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.</p><p>Zed got back to his run.</p>
<hr/><p>“There’s nowhere to dock,” Ben said, lowering his telescope and handing it off to Mal “It's like they don’t get boats.”</p><p>“We don’t know if they do,” Mal said as she peered through the instrument “We don’t really know anything.”</p><p>Evie grabbed the instrument and took a look for herself “Judging from the buildings, they’re around our level, at least.” She offered the telescope off to Jay who denied it. </p><p>“My vote is that we anchor,” Jay said “Get as close as we can and row the rest of the way.”</p><p>Mal turned to the lifeboat attaches to the side of the ship</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>“Help us out </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Don’t be a bore</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Row this boat </em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Without an oar.”</em>
  </em>
</p><p>A wave of sparkly enchantment swept over the dinghy.</p><p>Mal turned back to her friends “Let’s load up Carlos.”</p>
<hr/><p>Missy Wells received word of the boat that morning. Some guard in a remaining zombie lookout tower had looked out to the ocean, the right place at the right time.</p><p>She had to deal with the unforeseen a lot as mayor—zombies, werewolves, feisty PTA parents— she stood her ground through all of it. She’d maintained the standards (no matter how much her daughter protested).</p><p>She grabbed her purse and made her way out the door. People had begun to gather at the beach. If all went well, they were lost traders and she would talk a bit, help them out, and send them on their way.</p><p>If all went wrong, she would maintain the standards.</p>
<hr/><p>“We got an audience,” Jay said as they got closer to shore.</p><p>“Friendly?” Mal said, prepared to transform if need be.</p><p>“Calm down,” Ben scooted his way to the head of the boat “They’re probably just curious.”
</p><p>A small group of people (twenty at most) could be seen on the shore, now mere minutes away. </p><p>Ben turned back to the group “We should be able to do things diplomatically.”</p><p>“Ben,” Evie butted in “Those are uniforms.”</p><p>Ben turned back and squinted, this time noticing how all but one wore a subtle blue. The director of these men, dressed in pink, held up a bullhorn larger than his head.</p><p>“This is the Seabrook Coast Guard. You are not authorized to anchor on public beach. Proceed three miles north to Marina for docking and processing. This will be your only warning.”</p><p>“So much for curious.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. "We'll be the doctors"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Marina was full of sleek white sailboats with canvas sails. </p><p>Ben was on deck, watching as the ship positioned itself into place at the end of the dock, carefully parallel parking itself between two of the boats, supervised by a small militia of guards.</p><p>“Ben.”</p><p>He snapped out of his trance at the sound of Mal’s voice.</p><p>“I think it’s time to get diplomatic.”</p><p>He nodded as he made his way to the stairs.</p><p>“Hello,” he cried to the people “I am King Ben of Auradon. I am here in search of aid. One of our passengers is severely ill and we believe you may have the cure.”</p><p>The leader, a blond woman on the younger side of middle aged in a pastel pink dress, stepped forward.</p><p>“If someone is sick, then we will begin quarantine procedures.”—she turned over her shoulder— “Call the hospital and tell them to suit up.”—she reset— “Once they have added the situation we will consider your request.”</p><p>“Very well, how long will this take?”</p><p>“Standard quarantine is one month.”</p><p>“A month!”</p><p>All turned to see a purple haired woman emerging from the deck and proceeding downstairs.</p><p>“We don’t have that kind of time. It isn’t contagious. We can leave once we get it.”</p><p>“I have no evidence on what the disease is or isn’t.”</p><p>“If you—”</p><p>“Mal,” Ben mumbled “We need to be diplomatic.”—he returned his attention to the woman— “I apologize for any brash behavior on our part. This is my queen to be, Mal.”</p><p>Mal stiffly curtsied for Ben’s sake, maintaining narrow eye contact.</p><p>“Whatever this may be, we have procedures that must be followed—”</p><p>The flow was broken by the sound of coughing on the ship. </p><p>Mal and Ben turned to find Carlos on deck, face pale and partially covered byblack and white strands, being supported by Evie.</p><p>“Carlos!” Mal ran to her friend’s side.</p><p>“I tried to keep him below deck.”</p><p>“I’m fine,” Carlos rasped “All I was doing down there was getting Seasick.”</p><p>Ben turned back to the woman, ready to explain, only to find her nodding to her underlings. She turned back to Ben.</p><p>“A wheelchair will be here within the next twenty minutes. We will handle him.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Ben nodded “I do not believe I caught your name?”</p><p>“I am Mayor Wells,” the woman said flatly as the soldiers rushed around her “Welcome you our community.”</p>
<hr/><p>Only one person was permitted to ride with Carlos in the ambulance. They agreed on Jay. He had been the first to volunteer and, if they refused to give the cure, he had the best odds of stealing it.</p><p>The ambulance itself looked more like a Jeep. Jay sat with a guard on each side, keeping a watchful eye for both of their well being.</p><p>The car turned off the road.</p><p>Jay’s heart rushed as adrenaline began to pump.</p><p>
  <em>It’s a trap.</em>
</p><p>Jay’s eyes darted. Four guards back here. Two in the front. Jay had a dagger in his pants. It wasn’t enough to take out more than two before he was overpowered.</p><p>The car stopped and the back opened to reveal two tan people, one male one female, that could have been twins. They wore fur and leather and were covered in tribal markings.</p><p>Their hair had identical white patches.</p><p>The woman’s dramatic eyes spoke before she did. She was the alpha.</p><p>The boy climbed into the vehicle and lifted Carlos, once again unconscious, with ease. Jay followed him out of the car.</p><p>“He’s bad off, but he has his own necklace,” the teen said “A recharge should be enough.”</p><p>Jay, calmer but still alert, followed as they walked.</p><p>“He’s been like this about eight days. If that helps.”</p><p>They made their way to the entrance of a cave and the woman turned and stopped Jay.</p><p>“Werewolves only.”</p><p>“I can’t let him go in there alone!”</p><p>The woman bore her teeth as her eyes glowed gold. </p><p>Jay put his hand next to his dagger.</p><p>“Willa!”</p><p>Both snapped their heads toward the young man “Look,” he yelled to Jay “You want us to fix him, so let us fix him. We’ll be the doctors; out here will be the waiting room. That okay with you.”</p><p>Jay crossed his arms straightened up, aware that it wasn’t a question.</p><p>“Good,” he smiled before continuing on into the cave, leaving the werewolf— apparently named Willa— staring down Jay.</p><p>“Do I need to supervise you?”</p><p>“That’s not my choice. Is it?”</p><p>Willa scowled before turning to go back inside.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Become wolf</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Carlos opened his eyes to runes--on the walls, ceiling, people-- illuminated by an oculus in the ceiling. He took a breath, thankful to breathe again as howls echoed through his ears.</p><p>He felt...different. Stronger? No, that wasn’t it. Better?</p><p>He sighed. He was always jumpy wherever he went, but something in his chest told him he was safe. He looked down at his chest to find the necklace his mother had given him glowing blue on his chest.</p><p>“Through the moonstone,” he heard a female voice call as a figure stepped into his view “The pup enters the pack!”</p><p>Howls rang out over the crowd.</p><p>“Through the pack, the pup becomes stronger!”</p><p>More howls.</p><p>“Through that strength, the pup becomes wolf!”</p><p>Howls continued as the girl, around his age, stared down at him. He reached out her hand.</p><p>Carlos pulled himself up, now able to take in the cavern in its entirety. There were easily fifty people in the crowd of all ages. All with white streaks in their hair.</p><p>The howls gradually died as people splintered off, leaving just the two of them and some stragglers.</p><p>“Sorry about the turnout.”</p><p>Carlos snapped out of his daze.</p><p>“Normally this would have happened a decade ago with weeks of preparation.”</p><p>“What would have happened?”</p><p>“The ceremony?” </p><p>Carlos stared.</p><p>She pointed “To get that.”</p><p>Carlos examined his necklace.</p><p>“You become wolf strong with this,” she said, holding the necklace gently like a ladybug “Don’t ever take it off.”</p><p>“I don’t plan on it.”</p><p>“Even to shower.”</p><p>“I don’t plan on it,” he grinned.</p><p>The young woman’s stern facade dropped for a moment so she could laugh, low and at the back of her throat “And he has a sense of humor.”</p><p>“He also has a name. Does she?”</p><p>“Willa,” she extended her hand “I am the alpha of this pack.”</p><p>“Carlos,” he shook her hand “And my friend--”</p><p>It hit him.</p><p>“Where’s the guy that was with me?”</p><p>“Nonwolves are only allowed in with special permission. He is waiting for you outside.”</p><p>Carlos nodded “Can I ask which way outside is?”</p>
<hr/><p>Jay sat on one of the stones at the mouth of the cave, leg bouncing rhythmically. It had been ten minutes and the only sign he had of something happening was howling, but he was busy beating himself up over his little fight he had given to read too much into them.</p><p>“Jay!”</p><p>Jay snapped out of his head and turned to the entrance of the cave.</p><p>“Carlos?”</p><p>“You waiting for someone else?”</p><p>Jay stared in awe as Carlos descended the boulders.</p><p>“You’re alive; you’re okay.”</p><p>“Better than that,”--he raised his arms-- “I am wolf strong.”</p><p>“I have no idea what that means.”</p><p>“Me neither.”</p><p>Jay laughed as he pulled his friend into a bear hug (a rare event for both of them).</p><p>“I just didn't expect it to be so...immediate.”</p><p>Carlos pulled out of the hug “And no side effects.” He smiled, revealing his new canines.</p><p>Jay’s smile became slightly stiff as he pointed to his teeth.</p><p>“Do I have something?” Carlos said, picking at the same general area of his mouth.</p><p>Jay took out his phone and flipped the camera, letting Carlos see his new fangs.</p><p>“And minimal side effects.”</p><p>Jay smiled as he put his arm around his friend again “Small price to pay for survival.”—Jay put his hands above his head like ears— “Just be happy you got to keep your ears.”
</p><p>Carlos smiled. Everything was right.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Eldritch forces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Addison finally pulled herself out of bed a little past 10. She had no plans today aside from maybe hanging out with Zed and saw no need to get out of bed, even if her phone occasionally buzzed.</p><p>She pulled back the covers and grabbed her phone to find a series of texts from her friends. </p><p>She made her way to the kitchen, putting her phone in her pajama pocket. She could read them later. </p><p>Her routine was broken by a bright pink sticky note on the fridge.</p><p>
  <em>Addison </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Off doing mayoral duty. Be home by dinner.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Mom</em>
</p><p>She groaned, not wanting to think about what anti-zombie activities her mom considered a <em>mayoral duty</em> today.</p><p>She grabbed some milk from the fridge and made herself some cereal, now letting herself pull out her phone and realizing these weren’t the “Good morning. Let’s hang out” texts she was used to.</p><p>
  <em>Bree: Do you know what’s going on down by the marina? There’s a lot of security down there?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Wynter: need to talk (GOOD STUFF)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Zed: I saw your mom on my morning run. What is she doing at the Marina?</em>
</p><p>Addison groaned as she looked up directions to the Marina. She was probably trying to intervene with a zombie trying to buy a space because his homemade boat looked “too zombie.”</p><p>Humans and monsters were living together for the better. If only her mom could see that.</p>
<hr/><p>If Mal knew one thing about herself, it was that she did not like to be poked and prodded.</p><p>The lab they had been taken too for quarantine was sterile from both germs and color. The people wore marshmallow suits with windows over their face like they were about to go diving in the cheapest gear ever made.</p><p>Ben has gotten to stay with her while they ran “blood analyses” on them to avoid quarantine, whatever those were.</p><p>“Quite a welcoming committee, huh?” Ben said, trying to lighten the mood.</p><p>Mal was concommital “Yeah.”</p><p>“I know they aren’t being the most friendly of us now, but they’re helping Carlos. We just need to go along with their customs like with any other kingdom.”</p><p>“I know,” Mal said “I just wish I knew what they were <em>doing</em> with Carlos. Chances are, it’s more intensive than this,” she gestured to the room.</p><p>Ben gripped Mal’s hand. He had been trying to avoid the topic.</p><p>“Carlos will be okay,”—Ben turned to look into her emerald green eyes— “We will <em>all </em>be okay.”</p><p>The door clicked open and Evie walked in with a handful of people, now wearing lab coats.</p><p>“They say we’re clear,” Evie said “And they are now so sorry”—Evie moved her arms in a melodramatic and sarcastic way— “to have caused us all this emotional distress that they want to give us all a tour to make up for it.”</p><p>Mal couldn’t help but smile at her friend.</p><p>Ben squeezes her hand “See progress.”</p>
<hr/><p>Mayor Wells marched forward, leading the three teens through the pastel parts of town.</p><p>“As you see, Seabrook is a perfectly planned community where we <em>love </em>people for their differences,” she said, struggling on the word <em>love</em>.</p><p>Each of the guests focused on their own area. Evie took notice of all the pastel colored cloths mixed with patchwork chic and furs. She saw three distinct cultures in how people dressed. </p><p>Ben noticed the buildings and how the town seemed to function as a whole. It was what he was trained to do as King when visiting.</p><p>Mal picked up on the death. She didn’t know where it was coming from, but she could sense death and eldritch forces swirling around her. She thought of what her father had told her: <em>people don’t die there like they should</em>. They were holding back death, somehow, with a force like she had never felt.</p><p>“You’re friends will be meeting us at the border between Seabrook and the Forbidden Forest.”</p><p>Mal tuned back into the conversation.</p><p>“It’s not far up here.”</p><p>“Mom!” all turned to see a petite, white haired woman in a blue jacket coming toward them.</p><p>“Addison, this is not the time,” the mayor said through gritted teeth.</p><p>“I’m wondering what was happening by the Marina that was so important that you and dad had to be there?” </p><p>Now that Addison was closer, Mal could see that it was just the white hair throwing her off. In reality, Addison was younger than she was.</p><p>“What was so <em>important</em>, Addison, was the arrival of some esteemed guests,”--the mayor gestured toward Ben and the VKs-- “Despite what you may believe, my life is not devoted to ruining yours.”</p><p>“King Ben of Auradon,” Ben extended his hand, not able to bare the scene for any longer. “This is Queen to be Mal and Evie.”</p><p>“Addison,” she shook his hands while looking past him “I’m sorry, but is your hair naturally that color?”</p><p>“Yes,” Evie said, tucking a strand behind her ear. She turned to Mal, expecting her to answer only to get nothing.</p><p>“Mine is too,” Addison said, not quite believing what she was seeing.</p><p>“Yes, yes, you all have lovely hair,” the Mayor cut in “Can we continue on to the Forbidden Forest.”
“I’ll follow along. I need to talk to the werewolves about something.”</p><p>The mayor simply kept walking.</p>
<hr/><p>The Forbidden Forest reminded Mal of the Isle, dark and dense with trees wider than a door frame. They came upon dented wire gates with signs so rusty you could barely read “KEEP OUT.”</p><p>And just beyond them, standing tall on his feet, was Carlos.</p><p>“Carlos!” Evie cried out as she ran ahead of them. Mal was still too in shock. She felt his strength. She felt his joy.</p><p>She felt the death and eldritch forces swirling through him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. New World, New Senses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Carlos let himself be engulfed in Evie’s hug. It felt good. He felt good. </p>
<p>He saw Mal and two women in pastels make their way over. He took notice of the smaller one with solid white hair. She smelt different from the others.</p>
<p>Carlos backtracked and took another whiff in. He could smell his friends (and not just in the haven’t-bathed-in-a-week way that had been common on the Isle). He took in the smell of Evie’s homemade apple blossom shampoo.</p>
<p>“Woah there, Carlos,” Evie said, pulling back “You have a girlfriend, remember?”</p>
<p>Carlos looked puzzled before realizing what Evie was implying “Oh no! I didn’t—I smell good. I mean well. Like a wolf.”</p>
<p>Evie laughed; Carlos awkwardly joined her.</p>
<p>“It’s okay, Carlos. I’m just happy you’re okay.”</p>
<p>Carlos held his pendant out for her to see “What does your expert opinion say? Think it’ll be the newest craze in Auradon?”</p>
<p>“Hmm,” Evie put her finger to her cheek “No.”</p>
<p>They all laughed, sincerely this time, as Mal and the others entered speaking distance.</p>
<p>Carlos grinned and held his arms out, preparing for a hug from Mal, only to find an unreadable expression on her wide eyes and slightly parted lips.</p>
<p>His arms were instead filled by Ben in a pat-your-back dude hug.</p>
<p>“Great to see you back on your feet,” Ben said as he pulled away.</p>
<p>“Good as gold,” Carlos said with only half his focus.</p>
<p>Ben turned to the hostesses, switching back into king mode “We appreciate this gesture you have bestowed upon us. Perhaps this could be the beginning of a fruitful partnership between our two nations.”</p>
<p>The white haired girl giggled.</p>
<p>“Addison!” the older woman snapped.</p>
<p>“Sorry. It’s just...you're just so <em>formal</em>.”</p>
<p>“I just like to make a good first impression.”</p>
<p>“On the matter of impressions,” the older woman butted in, “We are working on accommodations for you and your...entourage. However, being the King and Queen, I believe you should receive the <em>best</em> care,” she said, emphasizing <em>best</em> in a less than sincere way. “Addison,”—she turned to her daughter—“Go home and prepare the guest bed and bath. Okay?”</p>
<p>Addison pursed her lips. </p>
<p>“Now.”</p>
<p>The girl sighed and pointed at Carlos “You and I can meet later in the Wolf Den.”</p>
<p>Carlos nodded.</p>
<p>Addison spun on her heels. Her mom may be in charge of her during the day, but she owned the Night.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>Mal and Ben sat at the dinner table of Mayor Wells. It was different from any of the diplomatic missions to the great castles of the neighboring kingdoms. Mayor Wells was the leader of Seabrook, but she lived just like any other member of the population. No servants. No gold. No live music. The only indication that tonight was an important night was that she had yelled to Addison to set out the “good china.”</p>
<p>It might have been the only trip he and Mal had been on together where Mal was more comfortable than he was. </p>
<p>“So what’s it like in Auradon?” Addison said, sitting at the end of the table. Her mother had exiled her there in an attempt to keep her away from the guests.</p>
<p>“We are a united nation of over--”</p>
<p>“I mean culturally, are there a lot of different people and cultures,” Addison cut off.</p>
<p>“Addison,” her father muttered, knowing exactly what she was implying.</p>
<p>“It’s okay,” Ben said “I can understand how politics can be less than riveting.”—he turned to Mal— “I think you can give a better description than I can.”</p>
<p>Mal straightened up at the unexpected cue. “Well…” she spoke, filtering out the rough stuff “I was not born in Auradon. I was born on an Isle just outside its borders. I guess you would call it a slum, but Ben took a chance on me and a handful of others, brought us to the mainland, let us learn and live there.”—she reached for his hand— “Saved us.”</p>
<p>“Aww,” said Addison, reminded of the story of she and Zed.</p>
<p>Mal reset “Now, the Isle is a part of Auradon with an open bridge so that everyone has a chance to choose who they are and not just make the same mistakes their parents did.”</p>
<p>“I can get behind that,” Addison said, staking a sip of her drink.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Enter Wolf Den</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn’t the lack of hug that had bothered Carlos—it was Mal after all—it was her face. She knew Mal was hesitant to go on the quest instead of using magical treatment, but did she believe that they would fail that much? 
</p><p>Carlos rolled over in his bed. He had had the same issue falling asleep when he first came to Auradon. It was the unfamiliar keeping him awake. Back then it was a solt bed and sheets, now it was the concrete box of a hotel room in a mask of flat paint and the smell of last week’s patron (a scent that Evie and Jay were blind to).</p><p>He heard a rock hit the window, knocking him out of his thoughts.</p><p>He got out of bed and went to the window to find the twins from earlier. He opened it up and peered down from the second story.</p><p>“Hey, Willa and…”</p><p>“Wyatt!” he yelled up “It’s okay; I never said my name.”</p><p>“What are you guys doing here?”</p><p>“We’re here to bring you to the Wolf Den,” Willa yelled “You may look like one of us,’—she held up her necklace— “But that doesn’t mean you have our culture.”</p><p>Carlos looked ducked his head in and looked at the clock.</p><p>
  <em>11:38</em>
</p><p>“Will I be back by sunrise?”</p><p>“Guaranteed!” said Willa with a stiff smile.</p><p>Carlos grinned “I’ll be right down.”</p>
<hr/><p>The Wolf Den had transformed itself. There were no people soberly sitting on the sidelines. There were dozens of people running and dancing and howling. Children ran in and out of the hallways while teens danced with wooden poles in the center. </p><p>Carlos stood in awe.</p><p>“Is this every night?”</p><p>“If only,” Wyatt put his hand on Carlos’s shoulder “We are preparing for the Supermoon.”—he pointed up at the oculus— “When the Supermoon passes in line with the oculus, with the help of the newly discovered Moonstone, we will be able to become <em>full</em> wolf for the first time in decades.”</p><p>“You haven’t transformed before? Isn’t that part of the definition of werewolf?”</p><p>Willa rolled her eyes “We have become...wolfmen you could say, but to run free like our ancestors…” she trailed off in wonder “Even for night.” she snapped back to reality “The new pups were starting to think it was just a fairy tale their grandparents told to sound cool.”</p><p>Carlos laughed to himself.</p><p>“What’s so funny?” Willa snapped.</p><p>“Nothing! It’s just...I like to think of my life as a fairy tale.”</p><p>Willa disregarded to comment.</p><p>“Tell me,” Wyatt leaned in “Being that you are the fairy tale,” he put his hand out across the cave “Care to meet the legend?”</p><p>There seemed to be millions in the room, but he saw her immediately. She wore leather and a fur collar and held herself high, white hair in braids. It was the face of the girl from before, but there was no way the frustrated teen from before could be this carefree, confident young woman.</p><p>Her eyes met his and she transversed the dancefloor. People gently swayed to let her past without a second thought.</p><p>And she was there.</p><p>“Addison,” she extended her hand.</p><p>“Carlos,” he shook it in shock.</p><p>He saw in her what the pack did to people. How it freed them. She was not at the mercy of her mother here, or at the mercy of anyone. </p><p>He had lived with Cruella’s voice in his head, even after he got to Auradon. Maybe, here, he too could escape his mother’s will.</p>
<hr/><p>The dancing had mostly calmed down. The party had taken hours to die, and the only people left now were either party animals or insomniacs, chatting about on the sidelines.</p><p>Carlos guessed he fit into the second category because there was no way he could sleep, not with his questions.</p><p>“What are these?” Carlos asked as he approached a wall painted with spiraling vines that held thick black runes. The patterns stretched floor to ceiling and was just as wide.</p><p>Willa and Wyatt had gotten sick of playing “What’s this?” and had handed him off to another wolf named Wynter. She was always eager to talk (sometimes too much).</p><p>“These are the names of all of our ancestors and how they relate.”</p><p>“So a family tree?”</p><p>Wynter gasped “That’s a perfect name for it!”</p><p>Carlos smiled, grateful he was with someone as excited as he was “Would this have my dad on it?”</p><p>She nodded “It was the name of every wolf born into the pack since it was established hundred of years ago.”—she ran a few feet past Carlos and pointed at a hip high bunch of runes— “This one is me.”</p><p>“Well, my father’s name was William, but I don’t know his last name.”</p><p>Wynter thought “We have a few Williams. Do you know anything else about him?”</p><p>Carlos sighed “My mom only said that he’s a great explorer.”</p><p>Wynter gave a loud guffaw.</p><p><em>That’s a bad sign</em> thought Carlos.</p><p>Wynter saw Carlos’s embarrassment, made two fists, and pressed them to her head “Stupid, stupid!”</p><p>“Don’t do that!” Carlos pulled her hands away.</p><p>“Sorry, it’s just...if I’m right, I know who your father is.”</p><p>“Then tell me.”</p><p>Wynter shifted and took a step or two away, pointing at a smudged blob with a vine going in but none coming out.</p><p>“Why’s it all smudged?”</p><p>Wynter hesitated “Some pups vandalized it a few years ago, and we couldn’t quite fix it.”</p><p>Carlos felt a pit form in his stomach “What did he do?”</p><p>Wynter crossed her arms and made herself smaller “William Lupo thought he could find another Moonstone to recharge our necklaces and let us go full wolf, so he stole a boat and...sailed off the end of the Earth.”</p><p>Carlos blinked “What?”</p><p>“You’re here, now, so he obviously didn’t, but… “</p><p>“He’s not a great explorer.” He finished. </p><p>“Is that okay?”</p><p>“It’s okay,” he sighed “My fault for wanting a parent I could look up to.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. A Terrible Handshake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mal awoke first and put on her leather pants and patchwork (but symmetrical) shirt and dragon wing necklace. She knew that she was there to represent Auradon, but her plans today did not have to do with diplomacy.</p><p>Ben rolled over in Ben.</p><p>“Up already, I see.”</p><p>“I planned on slipping out before the mayor woke up. She only showed us what she wanted us to see and told us what she wanted us to know.”</p><p>“That’s pretty standard.”</p><p>“I know, but it’s not what I <em>need</em> to know. I need to know what I’m feeling everywhere.”</p><p>Ben leaned up, now alert “Dark magic.”</p><p>“No,” she sighed “I just...need to look around.”</p><p>Ben slipped on his dress cloths and they made their way downstairs, only to find they were not the first ones awake.</p><p>“Morning,” Addison said in her preppy voice.</p><p>“Good morning,” said Ben</p><p>“Any big plans today?” she said as she moved to the kitchen.</p><p>“We were just thinking about wandering around the city, seeing who the people of the kingdom are,” Mal turned to Ben, already wearing his diplomatic face “Or, I was at least.”</p><p>“I can take you,” Addison perked up “I’m assuming my mom only showed you the perfectly planned parts?”</p><p>“One could say that,” Mal grinned. Perhaps she could learn more about the forces she felt on a walk around the city.</p><p>“Trust me, I know where to go to find culture around here.”</p>
<hr/><p>Ben had stayed at the Wells residence as dashing before sunrise was a generally agreed upon faux pas.</p><p>“Tell me,” Mal said “Does this town have any… unusual history?”</p><p>“What do you mean by ‘unusual?’”</p><p>“Nevermind,” Mal flicked her hand, “I just like learning about the places I visit.”</p><p>“I wasn’t trying to put you down,” Addison defended “I just don’t know what you would consider unusual.”</p><p>“From what I’ve seen, you have completely integrated technology into daily life. I mean, half the people here seem to be wearing smart watches.”</p><p>Addison eyed Mal somewhere between suspicious and confused “Well, what do you do where you come from.”</p><p>“We have our phones, but people are still pretty adamant about completely transitioning.”</p><p>Addison stopped.</p><p>Mal panicked but didn’t let it show. She mulled over her words, trying to determine what part of it could be taboo.</p><p>“You don’t have zombies where you come from.”</p><p>It wasn’t a question, more of a sudden revelation.</p><p>“Zombies?” </p><p>The words of Hades echoed in her mind.</p><p>
  <em>People there don’t die like they should.</em>
</p><p>“Fifty years ago, there was an accident with the Moonstone at Seabrook power. A green mist covered the town, and everybody it touched turned into zombies.”</p><p>“The dead walk among you,” Mal whispered.</p><p>“Most of the zombies now were born that way, but the Z bands keep them calm. They’re not dangerous!”</p><p>“I didn’t accuse them of being.dangerous,” Mal put her hand on Addison’s shoulder. “I was wondering, actually, if you know any. I would love to meet one.”</p>
<hr/><p>Nothing was out of the ordinary when Zed got the text from Addison asking to hang out (it was Sunday, after all).</p><p>The unusual part was that she wasn’t alone when he got there.</p><p>The other girl looked like a senior, but there was no way she went to Seabrook High. He would’ve remembered her purple hair and punk style.</p><p>“Zed,” Addison grinned “This is Mal. She arrived from the Marina last night.”</p><p>“So that’s what all the fuss was about,” Zed said as he extended his hand “Zed Necrodopolus.”</p><p>“Mal,” she accepted his hand and felt something slither into her skin like a snake. Zed must’ve felt it too because he pulled away instantly.</p><p>“What the heck!” he said, looking down at his hand.</p><p>In the center of his palm was a patch of decay that instantly released a pungent odor of death. White wisps branched out from his skin and covered the patch, leaving his normal looking palm.</p><p>He and Addison were so distracted from watching this that neither noticed the white discoloration in Mal’s palm release a wispy white steam as her hand returned to normal.</p><p>“What was that!” Addison snapped.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Mal said, still examining her hand “Something magic… probably from my dad’s side.”</p><p>“Magic?” said Zed “That’s Impossible.”</p><p>Mal perked up “What do you mean impossible?”</p><p>“Magic isn’t real…” Zed stared at her like she had grown a second head “It’s just science we don’t understand.”</p><p>Mal bit her lip. This was not something she had intended telling them. Ben was firmly against magic, and she knew that showing them was a risk. Anything she did was sure to make it back to Addison’s mother.</p><p>Or would it? Perhaps sharing a taste of magic could be a little secret they could bond over. Perhaps it could help her out in the long run.</p><p>She bent over and picked up a rock</p><p>
  <em>“Twist of hand, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>and twist of fate, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>leave the ground </em>
</p><p><em>and levitate!</em>”</p><p>The rock drifted up from her palm a few inches. Mal took her hand out and flicked it over to them.</p><p>Zed caught the rock. He held it in front of him and let go, in awe of the sight. He tried to hit the rock back to Mal, only to have it fall to the ground.</p><p>Mal laughed “Anything more than a flick deactivates it.”</p><p>“What else can you do?” They asked in near unison.</p><p>“Just small stuff,” she lied, for once happy of all the practice she had had on the Isle “It’s not like I can lift a building or fly.” her face fell “Don’t tell Ben I did that. He thinks magic should be for emergencies, not party tricks.”</p><p>Addison nodded, but Zed simply stared gaping.</p><p>She was different, he could tell, and not just the magic part. There was something about her that was not quite genuine. He shook it off. He hadn’t trusted Wyatt at first either, after all.</p><p>He tried to let it pass, but the feeling rose again. The hand, the magic, everything about her told him to run.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey everybody!  I just wanted to say that that particular spell came from the Wiki (and thus isn't mine). I just thought it was too fun not to use. Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. A Call Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Carlos awoke to the sound of howling. He could see the sunlight eking its way in through the oculus as echoes of the wolf language reverberated off the cave walls. He wondered if this was how it was all the time, people yelling for other people in the wee hours of the morning.</p>
<p>It hit him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Morning!</em>
</p>
<p>He leapt up, back stiff from sleeping upright in the cave. He must have sat down and passed out after the party. </p>
<p>He made his way to the exit, sure that he could remember the way back.</p><hr/>
<p>Mal entered the Wells home. She had asked to be dropped off before Addison and Zed went to get fro-yo (whatever that was). She had told them that she simply still needed to rest up from travel.</p>
<p>She was the only one home, thankfully, so she was able to quickly go to the kitchen and find a popcorn bowl before heading up to her quarters.</p>
<p>Mal opened her pack and pulled out a wooden box about the size of her forearm and opened it. Inside were vials of spices, warts, nail shavings—everything she could ever need for an impromptu potion.</p>
<p>She set the box and bowl on the dresser so they were a little below eye level. Nimble fingers picked their way through the ingredients and eyeballed the portions, having memorized the recipe from sheer repetition. With the last ingredient, a single pomegranate seed, blue fire rose from the bowl as the flames shaped themselves into a face.</p>
<p>“Hey there, sweetheart,” Hades said, somewhere between sincere and snide “How’s the vacation?”</p>
<p>Mal rolled her eyes “Dad, this isn’t that kind of call.”</p>
<p>Hades' face fell “What have you found?”</p>
<p>“There is some kind of force running through half the population.”</p>
<p>“Describe it to me.”</p>
<p>“When I shook someone’s hand, it rushed into me like a snake and turned my hand white.”</p>
<p>“Sounds like Life Force.”</p>
<p>“Life Force?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s the battery that keeps us going. Usually it’s just sitting idle in people, so you don’t feel it.”

</p>
<p>“I felt it in the Zombies.”</p>
<p>Hades leaned in “They have undead there?”</p>
<p>“Hundreds, maybe even thousands.”</p>
<p>“The undead don’t have their own Life Force; they suck it in from their surroundings. If there really are thousands of zombies there, then something needs to be powering them; otherwise, that entire city would be a wasteland like the underworld.”</p>
<p>“Addison said something about a green mist encompassing the town that made people zombies. Could that be it?”</p>
<p>“Likely just the medium. Life force needs a medium—plants, trees, us—but it’s strongest when it's solid, like my ember.”</p>
<p>Mal froze “You had the thing that could heal Carlos this whole time?”</p>
<p>Hades gritted his teeth “I would if my high and mighty king of the gods <em>brother</em> didn’t restrict me from using it so much.” Hades took a breath “It should be about the size of an egg for a population that size. You’re going to have trouble finding it in such a densely packed place like that.”</p>
<p>Mal paused “What do you need densely packed?”</p>
<p>Hades blinked “There has to be at least three, maybe even four million people there.”</p>
<p>“Dad,” Mal bit her lip “We’re in a small planned community.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“There can’t be more than twenty thousand people, including Zombies.”</p>
<p>“Mal,” Hades shifted so that his neck and hand emerged from the bowl, giving his words more emphasis “I need you to get out of there asap.”</p>
<p>“What’s here?”</p>
<p>“Mal, I sense the amount of Life Force that should be spread across the entire redwood forest twice over. If there aren’t millions of people there, then that means that there is a stone there the size of a loveseat, at least. Take my hand, I can get you out through the afterlife.”</p>
<p>“No!” Mal snapped “I can’t just leave my friends here!”</p>
<p>“They’ll be okay, but you are half god.” Hades’s face became grim “My ember isn’t pure life force. Hephaestus refined it and forged it into the ember so that it was safe for me to use.”</p>
<p>“Refined versus unrefined can’t be that big of a difference.”</p>
<p>“Listen to me. As my daughter, you hold some dominion over death. If you get near the stone or the undead or <em>anything</em> that isn’t just regular old alive, you will suck it up.”</p>
<p>“Like I did with the handshake earlier.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, now try to imagine that but as a train to your entire body. Your biology wants you to soak it up like a sponge because you’re half god, but only full gods can hold that much.”</p>
<p>Mal gulped “I could get fried.”</p>
<p>“You will get fried, and you will take anything relying on the stone with you.”</p>
<p>Mal had gone completely white faced.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry to leave you with this, but I’m being summoned to the Fields of Elysium. Keep me updated.”</p>
<p>Mal nodded.

</p><p>"I need you to stay safe."

</p><p>Mal nodded.

</p><p>"I love you."

</p><p>"I love you too, Dad," she mumbled.

</p><p>The face in the flame lowered itself into the bowl as the fire flickered out, leaving nothing but Mal.</p>
<p>Mal...and a set of eyes and ears behind the door.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. What to Avoid</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Our usual place, or do we want to go to the coach’s cart?” Zed said as they started away from the house. </p><p>“I’m not sure if his cart is open this early,’ Addison said, going for her phone.</p><p>
  <em>4%</em>
</p><p>“Ugh,” Addison put her phone back in her pocket “My phone must not have charged last night. I’m just gonna run in and grab the charger from my room.”</p><p>She went onto her tiptoes to give Zed a peck and made her way back into the house.</p>
<hr/><p>Addison grabbed the charger from her bedside and was on her way back to Zed.</p><p>“There can’t be more than twenty thousand people, including Zombies.”</p><p>Addison paused at the guest bedroom. Was Mal talking to someone?</p><p> Addison put her eye to the crack in the door to see Mal speaking to the dresser. “Mal,” Addison saw wisps of blue fire rise from the dresser “I need you to get out of there asap.”</p><p>Addison froze as her skin crawled. There was something otherworldly and unsettling about the voice.</p><p>“What’s here?”</p><p>“Mal, I sense the amount of Life Force that should be spread across the entire redwood forest twice over. If there aren’t millions of people there, then that means that there is a stone there the size of a loveseat, at least. Take my hand, I can get you out through the afterlife.”</p><p><em>Afterlife?</em> Addison’s brain began to race.</p><p>“No!” Mal snapped “I can’t just leave my friends here!”</p><p>“They’ll be okay, but you are half god.” 
</p><p>Addison’s heart raced. Half god? That was impossible. Demigods were just made up to sell books to middle schoolers.</p><p>“My ember isn’t pure life force. Hephaestus refined it and forged it into the ember so that it was safe for me to use.”</p><p>“Refined versus unrefined can’t be that big of a difference.”</p><p>“Listen to me. As my daughter, you hold some dominion over death. If you get near the stone or the undead or <em><em>anything</em></em> that isn’t just regular old alive, you will suck it up.”</p><p><em>Like I did with the handshake earlier. </em>She thought as Mal said it.
</p><p>Carlos could have been a ploy. Her instinct was to trust, to try and see past the outer image that everyone else sees, but had that failed her? </p><p>“Yeah, now try to imagine that but as a train to your entire body. Your biology wants you to soak it up like a sponge because you’re half god, but only full gods can hold it.”</p><p>Mal gulped “I could get fried.”</p><p>“You will get fried, and you will take anything relying on the stone with you. I’m sorry to leave you with this, but I’m being summoned to the Fields of Elysium. Keep me updated.”</p><p>Mal nodded.</p><p>“I need you to stay safe.”</p><p>Mal nodded again.</p><p>“I love you.”</p><p>“I love you too, Dad.”</p><p>The fire crackled as it died, leaving a petrified Addison. She could take out everything. All the Zombies, all the Werewolves, all her friends, gone. </p><p>Addison stumbled backward, still in shock. She had to get out of there, warn people, do something. She gripped her charger white knuckled as she marched her way out the door.</p>
<hr/><p>Zed stared at nothing. She had opted to cancel the date and take him home to tell him (neither were in much of a fro yo mood now anyway). Now they were just sitting on his bed, trying to wrack their brains around the situation.</p><p>“And I don’t know what to do or who to tell or—”</p><p>“It’s good that you told me,” Zed said, putting his hand on her hand, still focusing on the fact that he could have <em>died</em> an hour or so before “But people will panic when they hear.”</p><p>“I know, but we need to keep her away from everything. Otherwise she could…” Addison trailed off. It was hard to even fathom that kind of power.</p><p>“I don’t think she wants to explode, so she’ll likely try to stay away from Zombietown.”</p><p>“I guess you're right,” Addison perked up “You are right. Zed, she doesn’t want to die. She was frozen when her dad told her about it.”</p><p>“Okay, so…” Zed perked up “She’s going to want to be as far away from it as possible.”</p><p>“So, let’s just tell her where to avoid to not die.”</p><p>Zed put his arm around Addison “I guess you are the smart one in the relationship.”</p>
<hr/><p>Addison knocked on the door before realizing that it was her own house and could just use her key.</p><p>She found Mal on the guest bed with the same blank stare Zed had when she told him. Mal was contemplating her own death.</p><p>“Mal?”</p><p>Mal snapped her head toward the door.</p><p>“Hello! I was just, um—”</p><p>“I heard the conversation with your dad,” Addison said flatly.</p><p>“I can’t leave this room without being a danger.”</p><p>Addison swallowed. She had doubt in the plan, but it was the best she and Zed could come up with “You shouldn’t have to worry. Just avoid Zombietown and the Forbidden Forest. They would have the highest concentration of...life force.”</p><p>The last few words came out of her mouth oddly. She had never given thought to why any of her world happened. She knew the moonstone made her favorite parts of it, but she wasn’t a scientist trying to analyse everything; she was just a cheerleader trying to get through high school.</p><p>Mal smiled a bit, surely glad to have that uncertainty off her shoulders “Thank you.”</p><p>“Just...stay safe, you hear me. I don’t want you or anyone else dying.”</p><p>Mal gave a wry laugh “Believe me, I don’t want to die either.”</p><p>Addison gave her own laugh, and, for a moment, she could help but believe things might be okay.</p><p>Her phone rang. It was her mom.</p><p>“Hello?” she said.</p><p>“Addison?”</p><p>Addison blinked “Ben?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m using your mom’s phone. Mal is with you right?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Is Carlos?”</p><p>“No, why?”</p><p>“Crap,” Ben said under his breath “That means nobody is with Carlos, and nobody knows where he is.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Lead Astray</h2></a>
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    <p>Carlos’s nose had misled him. In his head, he knew the route out of the forest, give or take, but his nose had butted in, gave him doubts that maybe <em> this <em> was the way.”</em></em></p>
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<p>Carlos rubbed his temples. The forest smelled like werewolves like a bakery smells like bread. It was like he was in a crowd of people all pointing him in different directions, giving him a headache and getting him hopelessly lost.</p>
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<p>He sat down on a fallen tree as things became more garbled in his head.</p>
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<p>Evie and Jay had initially assumed that they had simply woken up before Carlos. It wasn’t until about ten that Jay had poked his head in to check on him.
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<p>That was over three hours ago. The werewolves didn’t know his scent well enough yet to track him properly, and all the clothes in his room were clean, void of his scent and dander.</p>
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<p>Jay hiked across the forest.</p>
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<p>“Carlos!” he cried out. The only response he got was the buzzing of bugs</p>
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<p>Jay sighed. Carlos wasn’t one to go off alone or with people he didn’t know. Jay wondered why Carlos even left in the first place. What had the wolves offered him?</p>
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<p>“Carlos!”</p>
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<p>“Jay!” He heard as an echo.</p>
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<p>“Carlos!” He cried out again, trying not to let the Forest get to him. The Isle has had its own Forbidden Forest, although they had called it the Black Forest. It was where Snow White had been taken by the huntsman to be killed, where Beast’s castle had resided while he was cursed, where Bambi’s mom had been hunted and killed. He could see any one of those things happening here. </p>
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<p>“Carlos!”</p>
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<p>“Down here!” </p>
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<p>Jay went to his right to find Carlos at the base of a hill.</p>
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<p>“There you are,” Jay made his way to Carlos “What are you doing down here?”</p>
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<p>“Too many smells on the path,” Carlos said hoarsely. His eyes were bloodshot and droopy.</p>
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<p>“Have you been crying?”</p>
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<p>“A bit,” he wiped his eyes “I couldn’t handle all the smells.”</p>
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<p>Jay put his arm on his friend. “I’m sure things’ll get better. You’ve been like this, what, a day and a half.”</p>
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<p>Carlos nodded “I just hope it doesn’t get worse when I go full wolf.”</p>
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<p>Jay blinked “Full wolf?”</p>
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<p>“Tomorrow night is a Supermoon. I’ll get to be a wolf, just like how Mal gets to be a dragon.”</p>
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<p>Jay shifted awkwardly. His father had told him about becoming a cobra once. The process sounded gruesome and constricting. Stretching and pressing the body to be an animal was a hard pass for Jay.</p>
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<p>“And you want that?”</p>
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<p>Carlos blinked. He hadn’t actually thought about it “Well...yeah.”</p>
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<p>“You don’t sound too thrilled.”</p>
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<p>“I am. I get to be a part of the pack and participate in their rituals. Be included without having to fight for it.”</p>
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<p>Jay sighed. He could understand that at least. Camaraderie came expensive, even in Auradon.</p>
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<p>He pat Carlos’s back “Let’s get back to town. Everyone else has been worried sick about you.”</p>
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<p>Ben stood outside the Forbidden Forest with Mayor Wells. </p>
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<p>He checked his watch. It had been over twenty minutes since he had called for Mal. Had she not gotten the message.</p>
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<p>He ran his hand through his head. Even if it wasn’t a diplomatic meeting, tardiness did not look good. </p>
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<p>The search party had made their way into the forest without him (time being of the essence).</p>
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<p>“Ben!”</p>
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<p>He perked up at his name, relieved to see his fiancée.</p>
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<p>“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said with a stiff smile “I was at the other side of town.” She pulled Ben into a hug. Her head was by his shoulder. Had she changed into heels? Had she even brought heels?</p>
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<p>“I’m sorry for keeping you, Benny Boo, but I can’t go into the forest with my shoes.” She pulled away and outstretched her foot to reveal pastel pink heels that definitely weren’t hers.</p>
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<p>“It’s okay, the others are in there. I’m sure he’ll be found soon.”</p>
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<p>Mal hugged Ben again and whispered “We talk later” into his ear.</p>
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<p>Ben gave a slight nod.</p>
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<p>“Hey, guys,” they all turned to see Jay walking with Carlos “Guess I won the scavenger hunt, huh?”</p>
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<p>Carlos gavea playful punch to Jay.</p>
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<p>“Thank the gods,” Mal mumbled. “We should probably get back to diplomatic business <em>away</em> from the forest. Right, Ben?”</p>
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<p>He nodded, still half focusing on Mal and her shoes.</p>
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<p>“Wonderful,” Mayor Wells exclaimed, turning to her daughter “Could you escort them to town hall? I need to make a quick phone call.”</p>
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<p>Addison purses her lips for a moment. “Follow me.”</p>
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<p>Mayor Wells smiled as they got a few feet away from her. She pulled out her phone and dialed her husband to do what should have been done before the “guests” even set foot in Seabrook.</p>
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<p>“Dale Wells.”</p>
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<p>“It’s me.”</p>
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<p>A sigh came from the other end.</p>
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<p>“Honey, I’m at work.”</p>
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<p>“So am I,” she bit “I need you to do something for me.”</p>
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<p>“What?” he relented, clearly exasperated by his wife’s usual call to complain.</p>
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<p>“You still have that friend with the police.”</p>
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<p>“Yeah.”</p>
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<p>“I need him to come to our house with some bugs.”</p>
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<p>“Missy, you know we can’t bug a house without a warrant.”</p>
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<p>“I know, Dale, but that only applies when it’s not your own house.”</p>
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<p>Mal and Ben sat up in bed. Neither quite knew how to start things.</p>
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<p>“Mal,” Ben said flatly “What is in the Forest?”</p>
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<p>Mal fiddled with the end of the comforter nervously “The necklace that Carlos wears…” she swallowed, unsure of how to continue “It’s part of a larger whole somewhere in the Forest.”</p>
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<p>“Is Carlos in danger?”</p>
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<p>Mal shook her head “No. It’s made of this life force… if I absorb it; it could kill me and the zombies and anyone relying on the necklaces.”</p>
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<p>Ben went white faced.</p>
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<p>“We need to leave. Forget trade deals and sharing technology. You’re more important than that.”</p>
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<p>“I’m not in any real danger if I stay away from it. Besides, I can’t deprive Carlos of the transformation.” She paused “He might just be the only one of us who actually gets his birthright.”</p>
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<p>Ben put his arm around Mal. </p>
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<p>“Okay, but we leave first thing after that. This is one time I’m not letting you argue. Okay?”</p>
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<p>Mal smiled as she put her hand on his endearingly. She knew Ben was just trying to protect her “I just need to stay away from the Forbidden Forest and Zombietown.”</p>
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<p>Ben bit his lip “You should just pretend to be sick, not leave this room until we’re finished here.”</p>
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<p>“If I pretend to be sick, then we all just go back into quarantine.”</p>
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<p>Ben ran his hand through his hair.</p>
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<p>“Okay. Let’s just go to bed. We can talk about it more in the morning.” Ben used his free hand to cup Mal’s face. He saw something in her eyes. Fear? Disappointment? Either way he hated it.</p>
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<p>He guided her face into a kiss.</p>
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<p>“I just want to see you safe.”</p>
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<p>“I know.”</p>
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<p>“I love you.”</p>
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<p>She grinned “I know.”</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Back with a longer chapter. I hope y'all are all staying happy and living life to the best of your ability. Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. 10:01 a.m.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mayor listened to the playback of the bug in her office, dismayed to find it exactly the same the second time around.</p><p>She laid her headphones on her desk.</p><p>They were a danger. That much was known. She should have gone with her instinct. Kept her community safe.</p><p>But no. She just <em>had</em> to be fooled by their diplomacy, their fancy ship, their titles.</p><p>She says she didn’t know, but she could see through any ruse; she had to in order to maintain the community.</p><p>Her phone pinged, snapping her out of her thoughts.</p><p>
  <em>Addison: Meeting with Zed after school. Will be late for dinner.</em>
</p><p>She texted back K. Holding back her tongue was so much easier when texting than talking. She wished things could go back to normal, or that she could at least get a vacation from the Zombies like that week when the Werewolves were first discovered.</p><p>She froze.</p><p>Maybe... she could.</p>
<hr/><p>At ten o’clock on the dot, the visiting royals would be handed off to her city’s head of commerce. She checked her watch.</p><p>
  <em>10:01</em>
</p><p>She cursed herself silently. Her plan was rushed—she knew it. However, if they were leaving tomorrow, this would be the only chance she got. Their talks had been empty. Nothing of real value could be gained—no weapons, no medications, no world changing tech—just <em>culture</em> and <em>resources</em> like it was the Middle Ages.</p><p>
  <em>10:02</em>
</p><p>Time was running out. They were meant to be here already. She had to ensure that they were <em>away</em> from Seabrook and <em>close</em> to Zombietown. Otherwise, all the favors she called in would be a waste.</p><p>
  <em>10:03</em>
</p><p>She only had a minute left before the hack. She had told the head that her meeting with the “honored guests” was time sensitive. She rolled the watch back up her sleeve. She ducked into an alley, on route to a zombie panic room.</p><p>She heard the wizzing of Z-bands. The green haired citizens all turned to their wrists to find they’d gone dark.</p><p>Eyes went red. Skin went white. She didn’t need to check her watch.</p><p>
  <em>10:04</em>
</p><p>This was it. She almost wished she could watch. She wished that girl had been closer to Zombietown to take down more, but no matter. If she spun this right, it could be a reason to keep those ghouls on their side of the wall.</p><p>She heard a roar. She turned to the mouth of the alley to find the Zombies were in their ravenous state, but they were not attacking.</p><p>They were watching something.</p><p>Something wasn’t right.</p><p>She marched her way out of the alleyway in time to see a purple monster flying low, carrying a blue clad person in its ferocious claws. Her eyes tracked it as it flew beyond Seabrook, beyond Zombietown, beyond the bubble she knew.</p><p>Around her, the bands wizzed again. The undead citizens gasped for air as they regained the closest thing to civility they had, doing nothing to calm anyone.</p><p>Mayor Wells took out her phone, no longer having to be so sly in her ways.</p><p>“Dale,” she said, trying not to let her voice quiver “I need you to pick up Addison at school.”</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“I don’t know yet, but keep her away from those Auradon people,” she paused. If one could summon a dragon, there was no telling what the others could do “You know what? Detain them.”</p>
<hr/><p>“And...done!” Wynter pulled back the paintbrush from Carlos’s face “Take a look!”</p><p>Carlos gazed at himself in Wynter’s phone. It just looked like a bunch of flicks to him.</p><p>“I love it,” he said as he smiled awkwardly, adding face paint to the list of traditions he did not understand.</p><p>Wynter smiled “I wonder what will happen to our face paint tonight.”</p><p>“It’ll probably just flake off,” Carlos said, uncharacteristically pessimistic. He enjoyed the wolves and the wolf den, but he was still a stranger there. They let him take part in their traditions, yes, but he still felt like an observer.</p><p>“Don’t say that!” Wynter playfully pushed Carlos “I bet it goes with us. I’ll even bet a pebble.”</p><p>“A pebble?”</p><p>“For the swearwolf jar.”</p><p>Carlos grinned. Wynter was so natural in this environment. Even after the Werewolves incorporated themselves into Seabrook, she still knew who she was.</p><p>Carlos felt a twinge of envy. He pushed it down. One thing he did know about himself, in every place he’s ever been, he never liked feeling bad.</p><p>“We should go show Willa!” Wynter said, snapping him out of his head. She got up and pulled his arm. </p><p>“She’s just this way; I can smell it.”</p><p>And sure enough she was.</p><p>“Willa!” Wynter cheered “I just—” Wynter stopped “What is it?”</p><p>Willa stood stonefaced for a moment.</p><p>“Carlos.”</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>“There are some people outside for you.”</p><p>Carlos blinked. His friends should be in town. If they came all the way out here, something must be wrong.</p><p>“Then I better go—”</p><p>He was stopped by Willa’s hand on his chest.</p><p>“Not like that.”</p><p>“If not like that then…” Carlos trailed off “Am I being arrested?”</p><p>“I don’t know, but it doesn’t look good. I can stall them. Nobody is allowed to enter the Wolf Den unless invited, so I might be able to only let one or two in to search. Wynter,”—she turned her head— “I need you to take him down to the caverns for now while I sort this out.”</p><p>Wynter nodded.</p><p>Willa did an about face.</p><p>If someone was there for him, what about the others? Could they already be detained? Were they guilty until proven innocent?</p><p>He felt Wynter grab his shoulders and push. He was too in shock to resist.</p><p>He had gotten them all into this mess, but he wasn’t sure if he could get them out.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey! A lot of Mayor Wells in this chapter, I know, but I needed it for the ending I have planned. More of Addison and the VKs in the next chapter.<br/>Thanks for reading! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Supermoon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mal landed a few miles outside the city, setting Ben on a patch of grass before touching down herself. Purple smoke enveloped her monsterous form as she shrank back down to her natural self.</p>
<p>“Ben!” Mal ran up to her fiance and cupped his face in her hands “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”</p>
<p>He nodded, unable to stop his heavy pants. He had flown before on planes and once or twice on a carpet, nothing like that. He had a weight on his chest like Mal was still gripping him with her mammoth claws.</p>
<p>“I’m okay.”</p>
<p>“Good,” Mal took a moment to catch her own breath. She had never actually flown distance in her dragon form, and her muscles ached like the day after the gym. “I’m good.”</p>
<p>“So we’re good?”</p>
<p>“We’re good.”</p>
<p>“This is fine,” Ben took a deep breath “This is not fine!”</p>
<p>“I know it’s not fine!”</p>
<p>“They said the Zombies were like us. What happened?”</p>
<p>“Their bands must’ve been shut off or something because I know a trap when I see one, and Mayor Wells was <em>too</em> focused on exact timing.”</p>
<p>“So she just wants to take us out?”</p>
<p>“Ben,” Mal froze “It might not just be us.”</p>
<p>Ben swallowed “We need to get them.”</p>
<p>“How? We can’t go back into town after that?”</p>
<p>Ben pulled Mal close to him. He could barely tell his heart from hers they were pounding so hard. “Listen to me. We are going to figure this out, make a plan, and get home. All of us. You hear me?”</p>
<p>Mal kept her face in his chest.</p>
<p>“You hear me?”</p>
<p>Mal pulled out to reveal tears wavering at her eyelids.</p>
<p>“Okay,” she choked out “We can do this.”</p>
<p>“We always do.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Awaiting Evie in the concrete cell was Jay, already attempting to pull wire from the bedframe to use as a lockpick.</p>
<p>“Jay!” she ran up to her friend and embraced him “What’s happening?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, but, whatever it is, it made Mal transform.”</p>
<p>Evie gaped. Her friend hadn’t become a dragon since Audrey’s takeover over the summer.</p>
<p>“Do they have her yet?”</p>
<p>Jay shook his head.</p>
<p>“We need to get to them.”</p>
<p>“No,”—Jay tilted his head toward the guard at their door— “We need to just need to wait this out and let things sort themselves out.”</p>
<p>“You’re right,” Evie said. A beat “Do I have anything stuck in my teeth?” she said as she pulled out her magic mirror.</p>
<p>“A bit,” Jay moved to look over Evie’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Magic mirror by my nails, where’s the weakest point in the jail?”</p>
<p>Evie’s incantation was barely audible, but the mirror seemed to know exactly what she meant. The mirror became clouded before revealing an emergency exit.</p>
<p>Jay grinned “You’re a genius.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Evening was approaching.</p>
<p>Carlos didn’t know it in the caverns that extended beyond and under the Wolf Den. All that shone down there was the subtle reflections light that drifted down from thumb sized, man made holes in the ceiling.</p>
<p>And, of course, his necklace.</p>
<p>Carlos let his fingers dance over the jewelry. The little dancing particles moved like they were alive, there to keep him safe, to keep him company.</p>
<p>He knew, on paper, that it wasn’t his fault. The police wanted him and his friends for an unknown reason, but that still didn’t stop the fact that he was the reason they were there.</p>
<p>Carlos put his head in his hands. Once again, the fault of a parent had been passed onto him.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The torchlight of Willa led Carlos back to the Wolf Den like a Will-o’-the-Wisp.</p>
<p>The previously raving den had become somber. as Werewolves of all ages gathered in a crowd around the light of the oculus, waiting, so dense that Carlos couldn’t even see the Moonstone in the center.</p>
<p>Carlos suddenly felt a bit out of place. He had been excited for this, but was he prepared for it?</p>
<p>A penetrating light erupted from the Moonstone, reaching its way into the crowd and up high enough to touch the oculus. Those in front ducked down as fur sprouted from their bodies, letting the light fly over them to the next row of people. </p>
<p>The whole crowd seemed to almost bow to the Moonstone as it shaped their forms like clay, filling the Wolf Den with hundreds of wolves.</p>
<p>Willa, unrecognizable apart from a white stripe on her forehead, gave a mighty howl. The pack echoed. She turned and led her people out of the den, into the forest, into the night.</p>
<p>Leaving Carlos in an empty cave, standing on his own two feet.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Revelation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Carlos sat on the stones outside the Wolf Den, listening to howls echo each other.</p>
<p>Carlos felt like a kid sitting on the bench while all his classmates had fun on the playground. He guessed it was because he was only half wolf. He had the nose, the teeth, the hair.</p>
<p>All the superficial things.</p>
<p>He heard footsteps on the rocks but didn’t bother looking up. If someone was coming to take him away, so be it.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Addison said as she sat down next to him.</p>
<p>“Hey,” he said halfheartedly.</p>
<p>“I know you feel left out, but you can still be part of the pack. I am.”</p>
<p>He turned to look at Addison. She was in her normal pastel clothing like she had run over last minute.</p>
<p>“It’s different for you. You at least are from here. You’ve spent your whole life with these people.”</p>
<p>“Actually, I haven’t even known them a year.”</p>
<p>Carlos blinked “Really? You’re just so comfortable here that I just kind of...assumed.”</p>
<p>“The pack welcomed me in because they assumed I was one of them because of my hair, but I chose to become part of the pack.”—she gripped his hand— “Your pack is about who you would fight to protect and because you know they’d do the same for you. If you choose them, they will choose you.”</p>
<p>Carlos stared out at the Forbidden Forest. Should he choose this? He felt accepted the moment he sat foot in the Wolf Den, a feeling he had never felt anywhere before, but something in the back of his mind told him that he wasn’t meant to be there.</p>
<p>Then again, he had the same feeling he had when he first got to Auradon. He remembered not being accepted, not being normal, not being able to hang out with anyone but the other VKs, but he had managed to branch out with their help. They all had.</p>
<p>And then it struck.</p>
<p>He didn’t feel this way because he couldn’t be part of the pack; he felt this way because he already <em>has</em> a pack.</p>
<p>He thought of the people who had come after him. His head shot to Addison.</p>
<p>“My friends. Where are my friends?”</p>
<p>Addison turned white “I don’t know.”</p>
<p>Carlos blinked “If they were arrested, then they should be jailed. Where is the jail?”</p>
<p>“Two of them were arrested, but they escaped this afternoon. As for Ben and Mal…” Addison trailed off “They… flew off.”</p>
<p>Carlos swallowed “As in… a plane.”</p>
<p>“I think you know I don’t mean in a plane.”</p>
<p>Carlos ran his hand through his head. “Things must’ve gotten pretty bad if she became a dragon.”</p>
<p>“My mom has an APB out on her. The manhunt restarts in the morning.”</p>
<p>Carlos looked out at the forest. Everything was falling apart. In mere hours, they went from honored guests to most wanted.</p>
<p>“Carlos,”—Addison pointed to the distance where a bright light had appeared— “Get back in the cave.”</p>
<p>Carlos stood up, ready to turn and hide as two figures emerged from the darkness.</p>
<p>Then he smelt the familiar apple shampoo.</p>
<p>“Evie!”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Carlos made his way down the rocks to meet his friends.</p>
<p>He and Evie embraced.</p>
<p>“Goblins, you’re okay,” said Evie, slipping back into her Isle ways “We tried escaping to the ship and were worried they got you too.”</p>
<p>Carlos pulled back “What happened to the ship?”</p>
<p>“The police commandeered it,” Jay butt in “I’m just happy I remembered how to get here. Especially glad I caught you before you...you know.”</p>
<p>Carlos’s head fell.</p>
<p>“Oh,” Jay pulled Carlos into a hug “I’m sorry. If I knew I wouldn’t have—”</p>
<p>“No, it’s fine,” Carlos said as he put his friend at arms length “It’s best that I didn’t transform.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, if you were a wolf right now, I couldn’t—” Jay swooped Carlos into a headlock “Catch you off guard.”</p>
<p>“Focus!” Evie snapped “We’re all in danger and you’re acting like children!”</p>
<p>Jay let go and the boys stiffened up. </p>
<p>“Mal grabbed Ben and flew over the wall around the city, which means they’re together. I can use my mirror to find out where they are, but I have no clue how we’re going to get there.”</p>
<p>“I can fix that.”</p>
<p>All turned to see Addison at the base of the rocks.</p>
<p>“My mom drives a Jeep. It can go off road.”</p>
<p>“I can drive,” the boys said in sync.</p>
<p>“No way. I’m driving.”</p>
<p>“We can’t drag you into this,” Carlos stepped forward “We can’t make you go against your mom like this; it’s illegal.”</p>
<p>“I’ve gone against my mom before. Besides, you can’t tell me that <em>none</em> of you guys have <em>ever</em> gone against your parents before.”</p>
<p>The group shifted awkwardly.</p>
<p>“So it’s settled,” Addison grinned “I’ll get the keys.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Aiding and Abetting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mal tossed another twig into the flame. Ben has finally managed to drift to sleep, leaving her as the lookout.</p><p>How had everything gone so wrong? They had been fair and diplomatic, she thought, even if Seabrook had nothing to offer them. </p><p>The sound of crackling sticks over the hum of a motor brought her back to reality.</p><p>“Ben!” she jerked him awake.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Someone’s coming!”</p><p>Ben broke through his drowsiness and forced himself up.</p><p>Mal put her hands out</p><p>“<em>Magic take</em></p><p>
  <em>This little pyre</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Turn it into</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A wall of—”</em>
</p><p>“Mal!”</p><p>She froze, gaze shifting from flame to the head sticking out of the passenger window.</p><p>“Evie!”</p><p>Mal ran to the Jeep and embraced her friend through the window.</p><p>“Thank the gods you escaped. And Jay,” she pulled away and turned to the driver’s seat, only to find it filled by Addison.</p><p>“Back here,” Jay thrust himself between the two front seats.</p><p>“You broke them out?”</p><p>“They broke themselves out, I’m just the getaway driver.”</p><p>“Carlos is back here, too.”</p><p>Jay sat down so Mal could see Carlos sitting awkwardly with his hands in his lap.</p><p>“Carlos…”</p><p>“You don’t have to say anything. It just wasn’t meant to be.”</p><p>Mal gave a slight nod “We can talk about it after we get on the boat.”</p><p>“Slight problem,” Jay butted in “It’s teaming with the police. I have stolen a lot of things, but none were even half the size of a boat.”</p><p>“So we’re just screwed then? No way. There has to be <em>something</em> we can do.”</p><p>“What we need to do is scare them off somehow.”</p><p>All froze.</p><p>Ben put himself between Mal and the figure approaching in the shadows, as if he had forgotten that his fiancée could light things on fire with a rhyming couplet.</p><p>“Who goes there?” Ben yelled.</p><p>“Relax,” the lanky, pale figure emerged from the shadows “I’m in more danger than you are.”</p><p>Addison unbuckled herself and leapt from the car.</p><p>“Zed!”</p><hr/><p>Zed embraced his petite girlfriend.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Addison said as she pulled away.</p><p>“I knew something had to be wrong if your mom’s car was driving through Zombietown.”</p><p>Addison put her face in her hand. She hadn’t even thought of that. Her mother <em>never</em> went anywhere near Zombietown unless it was to drag Addison back home by the ear.</p><p>“Um…”</p><p>Both turned to see Ben standing awkwardly on the sidelines.</p><p>“Who exactly are you?”</p><p>“Zed Necrodolopus.”</p><p>“King Ben,” he outstretched his hand and took a step forward to be met with Zed recoiling “I guess I can’t blame you there.” Ben gave a wry smile “I guess we are fugitives.”</p><p>Zed’s eyes widened as he touched his fingers to his watch “Addison, are you…”</p><p>“I’m helping them. They can’t stay,” her voice became whisper “She can’t stay.”</p><p>“I know, but this is illegal, and not in the Zombies aren’t allowed in Seabrook way. This is aiding and abetting.”</p><p>“Zed, when your band shorted out earlier, that was everywhere. I spoke with Eliza and she said it could only have been a hack,” she swallowed “And my mom has all the resources to coordinate one.”</p><p>Zed stiffened. He knew that Mayor Wells hated Zombies (increasing Zombie Patrol was even one of her platforms last election), but taking them out in such a brutal way would make her worse than any monster he’d ever met.</p><p>His gaze shifted to Mal. Every muscle in him screamed for him to run, run from the girl who would suck the life straight from you if given the chance, but his mind focused on the neighborhood of zombies asleep in their beds, blissfully unaware of the plot against them.</p><p>“How can I help?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey! Shorter chapter this time, but prepare yourself for an extra long next chapter. <br/>-x</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. This Is It, Simple</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mayor Wells leaned over the watchman for a better look at the screens.</p><p>“Right there,” the watchman leaned forward to point his sausage finger at the screen “Definitely your car.”</p><p>The Mayor swore under her breath. What had been meant as a simple fix to scare off the zombies and outsiders had spiraled into an ordeal.</p><p>“Zoom in on the trunk for me.”</p><p>The man complied. The image was blurred black and white, but stark white hair stuck out from the window in the back seat. She didn’t need to see a face to know.</p><p>They had taken her daughter hostage.</p><p>She gripped the back of the chair white knuckled. Her buffoon of a husband must not have listened when she said to pick up their daughter. Now it was his fault that she was in danger.</p><p>Because it certainly wasn’t hers.</p><hr/><p>Addison had volunteered to ride in the back of the car with Zed so that Mal could ride shotgun, leaving the greatest amount of distance between them. It wasn’t the safest, but everything they did was dangerous. </p><p>The plan was simple. Mal would do a flyby as a dragon to draw people away from the ship, the VKs would sneak onto the ship and untie it, and, once they were set sail, Mal could land on the ship and change back. </p><p>Addison would simply have to drive to her mom with Zed and give some spheal like she always did. She’d be in trouble, but not legally.</p><p>Jay pulled the car over, letting Mal step out.</p><p>“Addison.”</p><p>She perked up to see Mal ducking her head into the car. She handed a crumpled piece of paper back, enabling Ben to be the middleman as it made its way to her.</p><p>“In my luggage is a wooden box full of ingredients. If you need to contact me for any reason, combine those ingredients and my dad will patch you through.”</p><p>She nodded as she unfolded the crumpled paper, discovering it to be a piece of litter with speedily drawn letters sprawled across.</p><p>She door shut and purple smoke enveloped Mal, covering all the windows before being dissipated by the wind from launching wings.</p><hr/><p>The others could slip out of the car discreetly with the chaos of military rushing after Mal. Her draconian form was flying circles around Seabrook, only visible in the night through the starlight she obscured.</p><p>Addison set on her path with Zed to the docks. They were doing this. They were actually doing this. The VKs’s (excluding Ben’s) steps were silent as if sneaking around in the cover of night was as common as walking to school.</p><p>“This is it,” Ben said as he turned to Addison and Zed “This is where we part ways. I know that this is not a usual diplomatic mission, but I do hope you choose to contact us with that spell. We cannot thank or repay you enough for helping us escape.”</p><p>“Don’t mention it. You wouldn’t even be in this mess if not for my mom,” she hesitated “I love her best I can. She’s just… stuck in the old ways.”</p><p>“I understand, but you still chose to do what you believed was right. That’s what I will try to remember about this trip.”</p><p>The group turned and continued to the ship. Her four new friends made their way up the gangplank, Ben turning to her and giving a final nod thanks before continuing.</p><p>The plank receded into the ship as she saw Jay’s hands undo the rope, letting the side still tied to the dock fall into the water. They could get more on the other end.</p><p>The boat began to move on its own. </p><p>Addison’s eyes followed them away before drifting to the bow.</p><p>Her face went white. The bow of the ship was facing <em>toward</em> the shore.</p><p>“I don’t know much about boats,” Addison gulped “But I have never seen one make a U turn.”</p><p>“They can’t. They’ll have to turn out and follow the shoreline before they can leave.”</p><p>Addison swore under her breath. She would have to keep her mom distracted for much longer than anticipated.</p><p>The first half of her job was done, but the second half had grown into its own monster.</p><hr/><p>Her mom always liked to be close to the action, but never <em>too</em> close. Even the most valiant warrior still used a shield. </p><p>She heard her mother before she saw her, yelling into her phone as per usual.</p><p>“Of course I don’t know where she is,” a disembodied voice cried from the back of an open security van just off the Marina “If I knew where she was, I wouldn’t be calling you. Would I, Dale?”</p><p><em>Good</em>, Addison thought <em>She could yell at Dad for twenty minutes, easy.</em></p><p>She and Zed made their way to the van.</p><p>“I can’t go out looking for her. I’m already out looking for five people!”</p><p>It would be simple. Get in there, talk to her mom about acceptance, refuse to relinquish her time to any officer that might come in with news. </p><p>Her heart pumped in her ears.</p><p>
  <em>Simple.</em>
</p><p>“Ma’am!” a voice from within the truck said “The ship’s moving.”</p><p>Addison froze.</p><p>
  <em>Not so simple.</em>
</p><p>Addison quickened her pace to the van. Turning the corner, she found her mom hovering over the monitors.</p><p>“Dale, I need you to call the Coast Guard and tell them they’re on the move by the shore. Tell them to be careful, they might have Addison.”</p><p>Addison ducked to the side of the car, pulling Zed aside with her.</p><p>“What?” Zed muttered.</p><p>“You heard her. She won’t let the military take down the ship if she thinks I’m on it. I need you to go in there and distract her.”</p><p>“How? She hates me.”</p><p>“I know. Just go in there and say you can’t get a hold of me and want to help in the search for me. Improvise.”</p><p>Zed bit his lip before turning the corner into the van.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Bullets Cometh</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben rose from below deck, handling the small pile of swords in his arms with care.</p>
<p>“How many you see, Evie?” he called out as Carlos and Jay grabbed swords from the top of the pile.</p>
<p>“Two, maybe three,” she ducked her head back over the side of the ship “It’s hard to tell from only headlights.”</p>
<p>Ben nodded. The Supermoon offered both sides light, and he was foolish to believe that no one would see them leave. Even if the bulk of the guards were after Mal, nothing important was ever left completely unguarded.</p>
<p>“I hope you two still remember your Swords and Shields training.”</p>
<p>Jay grinned as he bounced on his feet and swung his sword to warm up “Offseason doesn’t mean off my game.”</p>
<p>Ben swallowed, he could hear the inescapable whir of the engines near them. Their ship was only half way through the painfully wide U-turn. Even if they could do a right turn this instant, they would still have to fend off their assailants outnumbered.</p>
<p>He turned his gaze to the sky above the land, searching his best for his fiancé. Protecting them wouldn’t be an option from a distance.</p>
<p>The wind in the whir increased. Something wasn’t right. Wind shouldn’t come from above.</p>
<p>Blinding white light filled the deck of the ship. Heads went up to see a searchlight hitching a ride on a propellered device like none Ben had seen in Auradon.</p>
<p> “Attention!” he heard from a bullhorn across the water.</p>
<p>All heads snapped from the sky to the ship keeping its distance on their flank.</p>
<p>“This is the Seabrook Coast Guard. Release your hostage and return to shore for minimal punishment. Open fire will otherwise begin in two minutes.”</p>
<p><em>Hostage?</em> Ben thought. Something wasn’t computing </p>
<p>Ben’s stomach sank as his heart pounded in his chest “Everyone below deck!”</p>
<p>“Ben, this could be our only chance to escape,” Jay interjected. “They are not going to put me in a cell that easy to break out of again.”</p>
<p>“I know, but we don’t have what they want and they will fire.”</p>
<p>“I can handle a few arrows. How many people can they even fit on a deck that size? Eight?”</p>
<p>“This isn’t a joke, Jay! They don’t use arrows!”</p>
<p>“Then what can they fire?”</p>
<p>A shot rang out over the water. </p>
<p>The boys hit the deck. Evie cried out as her hand slapped her ear.</p>
<p>“Damn!” she turned away from the edge of the ship and crouched, hand filling with blood.</p>
<p>“Evie!” Jay ran for his friend, only to be pulled back down by Ben.</p>
<p>“More are coming!”</p>
<p>“What the hell is that?” Carlos yelled as he crawled closer to the other two.</p>
<p>“They’re called guns. They’re handheld cannons, and they’re aiming for the head.”</p>
<p>“What do we do?” </p>
<p>Ben looked between Carlos and Jay. All his battle knowledge was theory, bookwork that his tutor took as a completion grade.</p>
<p>The cacophony of more bullets mixed with a monstrous roar.</p>
<p>Ben cocked his head the best he could to the sky while still laying low. The helicopter wobbled from the gale force winds Mal created with her wings. Fire flew just over the boats and landed in the water. Her intention was to startle, never kill.</p>
<p>Bullets focused on her embedded themselves in her thick scales, doing little more than spitballs. </p>
<p>He grinned. If he hadn't already, he’d have proposed to that woman on the spot.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Zed watched the monitors as ships positioned themselves beside and behind the ship, thankful Addison was out of harm's way.</p>
<p>“Go light on the gunfire,” Mayor Wells said into a headset “My daughter’s on board if you don’t remember.”</p>
<p>Zed wiped his hands on his jeans. He was sweating bullets. He couldn’t help it. Even if the didn’t know the people on the ship, he didn’t want anybody to <em>die</em>, especially if he helped them into the situation.</p>
<p>Mayor Wells leaned toward the man at the helm of the screens “Since we know where they are, do we really need this van anymore?”</p>
<p>“I guess not,” the guy mumbled.</p>
<p>“Good,” she straightened up “I’m going to get her.”</p>
<p>Zed flinched “What?”</p>
<p>“When she gets off the boat, I will be there.”</p>
<p>“It’s a war zone.”</p>
<p>She gestured around her “It’s an armored vehicle.” She turned to the man in the chair for confirmation.</p>
<p>“Bullet resistant, yes.”</p>
<p>“It’s dangerous. She’d want you here.”</p>
<p>“Despite what you may believe, Zed, I do care about my daughter, and I will be nearby to comfort her after this traumatic ordeal.”</p>
<p>“How do you expect to get there?”</p>
<p>“I’m in a van, Zed,” she said flatly as she slid into the driver’s seat “I’ll drive.”</p>
<p>Zed hitched as the car we set in motion with him still standing. His heart raced, burdened with knowledge that Addison was just outside.</p>
<p>He sat down on the floor, wondering if this plan was really protecting anybody.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Breathe. Run. Live</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING: This chapter is a little graphic. I tried to keep it as PG as possible while still maintaining the climactic feel. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was no way she could sustain this. </p>
<p>Mal’s throat burned dry from her fire breath. Panting came with puffs of smoke. Aches and pains rang through her wings, pleading with her to let them rest.</p>
<p>But landing meant sinking the ship, and flying meant going down somehow.</p>
<p>She took a shallow breath and puffed out nothing. </p>
<hr/>
<p>Zed was thrown across the car as Mayor Wells slammed the brakes.</p>
<p>“Ugh,” Zed pressed where his head bumped the back of Wells’s seat “I’m guessing we’re there.”</p>
<p>“No,” she said unconcerned “I’m just waiting for the Coast Guard to deal with the dragon before I continue.”</p>
<p>Zed threw himself between the seats and beheld the ferocious sight of Mal’s reptilian form. Though he had never seen it before, he knew something was wrong.</p>
<p>Fire only came from her mouth every other attempt, and her eyes were delirious. </p>
<p>He glanced at the clock.</p>
<p>
  <em>1:08 a.m.</em>
</p>
<p>She was running on empty. Everyone was. They’d be captured and detained if not imprisoned. All this would fail and be covered up within a few days.</p>
<p>Mal gave one last thrust of her wings before being consumed with purple smoke.</p>
<p>A small figure cut through the smoke and into the water.</p>
<p>“Wonderful,” Mayor Wells said as she shifted the gears “Now that this is over with we get back to the way things were.”</p>
<p>Zed bucked as Mayor Wells continued forward.</p>
<p>“That’s it?” Zed snapped “She could be dead!”</p>
<p>Mayor Wells did not take her eyes off the sand before her, barely taking notice to her hitchhiker or the military boarding the ship. “I don’t think you know what my job is here. It is the Mayor’s job to maintain the standards of the community.”--she glanced at him side eyed-- “There can only be so much change.”</p>
<p>This time, the car braked gently. Pink heels hit the sand as she got as close as she could to the ship without touching waves.</p>
<p>“Please!” Zed heard cries from the ship “She can’t swim! She can’t swim!”</p>
<p>Zed’s heart raced. He gazed out at the water to see an unconscious mass bobbing in the waves.</p>
<p><em>She’ll die</em>.</p>
<p>His gaze shifted to Mayor Wells, finding her eyes transfixed at the capture of the VKs. </p>
<p>
  <em>And she’ll do nothing.</em>
</p>
<p>He swallowed hard and slipped off his shoes and jacket. </p>
<p>Lying about Addison had done nothing, helping them on the ship had done nothing.</p>
<p>He hoped diving in wasn’t nothing.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The Supermoon’s rays bounced off the surface of the water, pulling waves high, leaving Zed searching a swirling abyss for the fallen Mal.</p>
<p>He took a breath and went under. A person could drown in two minutes. Less if they were unconscious to begin with. He felt around in the water for her. She could only have floated so far away.</p>
<p>If he grabbed her fast and took her to shore, maybe he’d be fine. He’d burn a bit before his body fixed itself.</p>
<p>He felt burning in his right hand.</p>
<p>He flinched. Every part of him said not to touch her, like how a child only needed to touch a hot stove once. He gritted his teeth and grabbed hold.</p>
<p>The burning went up his arm, but she only slipped away and sank. He came up for air, swiping his Z-Band but not staying long enough to behold the rot stretching up his free hand.</p>
<p>Gripping the girl with all his inhuman strength, he thrust her toward the surface, only to have the water push her out of his grip</p>
<p>He popped to the surface once more, gripping his Z-band as he struggled for breath. He squeezed his eyes shut as he went down one more time.</p>
<p>There was only one way he could do this: pull her close, move with the waves, carry her to shore.</p>
<p>Zed tried to keep his breath as he pulled Mal to his chest, pushing off the seafloor best he could, letting the waves' momentum carry him. </p>
<p>He felt the night air on his face as he neared the shore. His gasps for air failed. Each beat of his heart fused together into a knot in his chest.</p>
<p>Mal dropped onto shore, white wisps and steam encircling her body.</p>
<p>He moved to switch his Z-band back on only to find his fingers in an unresponsive claw. Snakes of white slithered from his body onto her. Backing away, he found his right knee locked.</p>
<p>Zed hit the sand hard, reduced to basic instincts as adrenaline raced through his undead body.</p>
<p>Roll over. Hand to sand. Pull forward.</p>
<p>Repeat. Repeat. Escape.</p>
<p>Breathe. Run. Live.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. In the Flesh</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mayor Wells stared down at the form before her, writhing away from the unconscious girl, reaching out for something. </p><p>Her stomach twisted. She had seen zombies like this before on the old films her father had shown her. She vividly remembered her father sitting her down, letting her touch the scar where his ear used to be, and showing her <em>Night of the Living Dead</em>.</p><p><em>“It doesn’t matter how nice they seem or how often they say otherwise. Underneath, they will always be like this, and no fancy watch can change that</em>.<em>”</em></p><p>It was a personal experience that made him say that. She thought it would be exactly the same: a bunch of ravenous, unfeeling monsters. But this one was not unfeeling.</p><p>This one was in pain.</p><p>She felt something on her foot. Her eyes drifted too see it was Zed’s right hand, the one that had completely seized up from rigor mortis. </p><p>His eyes were squeezed shut. There was no way he knew what he was doing, but she somehow knew what he wanted.</p><p>She reached down and swiped his Z-band, watching it turn green before the body went limp.</p><p>“Mom!” </p><p>She popped her head to the deck of the ship. They had gotten her daughter out. She could grab her and hug her and tell her everything would be okay.</p><p>But the deck was empty.</p><p>“Mom!” </p><p>She looked again to find her daughter running down the beach. She was fine. She was normal. </p><p>She was never on the ship.</p><p>Missy Wells ran to her daughter and stopped her in her tracks.</p><p>“Mom,” she said “You have to let them go. They did nothing wrong. They were just scared. Zed was there, too, he can vouch for me.”</p><p>Addison tried to pull away and run to her boyfriend but was thwarted by her mother.</p><p>“Let go of me,” Addison grumbled.</p><p>Her mom gave no reply. She could grab her daughter, she could hold her tight, but she could not tell her everything was okay.</p>
<hr/><p>The VKs each got their own cell. Mal’s just happened to look like a hospital room.</p><p>There was a guard on each side of her with pistols in their holsters. There was no escaping now for any of them </p><p>Even if there was an escape, There was no way Mal could travel. Sleep deprivation, water inhalation, overexertion, it added up.</p><p>Mal let her eyes close. She loathed feeling so fragile, unable to power through or use magic to heal herself.</p><p>A knock came at the door.</p><p><em>Strange</em> she thought as she opened her eyes <em>There shouldn’t be a shift change so soon.</em></p><p>“Enter,” the guard on her left said for her.</p><p>The door guard opened the door for the white haired girl.</p><p>“Addison!” Mal smiled. </p><p>“Hey, I, um, I just thought you need to know, that, um.”</p><p>“Zed didn’t make it,” Mal’s face fell “A nurse told me.”</p><p>Addison nodded. It was still hard to say aloud.</p><p>“Could we talk privately?” Addison turned to the guards.</p><p>“No,” the left one said flatly. Addison sighed.</p><p><em>I guess their job is to guard her</em>.</p><p>“Addison?” Mal grinned slightly “Remember that recipe I gave you?”</p><p>“Yeah, I still have it in my pocket,” she reached for it but was cut off.</p><p>“I’m not asking you to give it back.”</p><p>Addison slowly pushed it back in her pocket.</p><p>“I just realized while lying here that I got the last ingredient wrong. You need pomegranate.”</p><p>“Pomegranate?”</p><p>“Just one. It goes farther than you think.”</p><p>“Got it.”</p><p>“I remember making it all the time for my dad. No matter what happened, it always seemed to make things better” Mal leaned back “I need to rest, but I hope you enjoy making it.”</p><p>“I’m sure I will.”</p>
<hr/><p>Addison’s hands shook as she read the labels on the viles and carefully measured each one out before sprinkling them into the popcorn bowl on her dresser. The box had been right where Mal had left it since nobody had volunteered themselves to deal with it. Her mother had been too busy sorting out the mess she made, and she hadn’t even come home since before…</p><p>Addison wiped her eyes and soldiered on. She didn’t even know what she was doing, really. Who exactly was she calling? A god? Something about that didn’t seem right.</p><p>She dropped the single seed</p><p>The bowl instantly responded and summoned a blue inferno, twisting itself round until a face solidified.</p><p>The man in the flame sighed “Listen, kid, if you summoned me to try and be cool—”</p><p>“It’s your daughter,” she blurted out. She had never had a conversation with a disembodied head. Whatever the decorum be, she knew they had no time.</p><p>The man straightened up so that he could be seen down to his shoulder. Somehow, having more of him to speak to did not help Addison.</p><p>“Tell me.”</p><p>“She’s being detained.”</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“Well, she’s being held in the hospital under armed guard.”</p><p>“Hospital?” the man in the flame gritted his teeth “She got too close to the undead.”</p><p>Addison nodded.</p><p>“Someone you know.”</p><p>Addison started crying.</p><p>“Kid, I need you to tell me something important. Am I on the ground right now?”</p><p>She shook her head.</p><p>“I need you to do two things for me. One, don’t ask any questions. Two, I need you to throw me out the window.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“What was the first thing?”</p><p>Addison touched the bowl, only to find it cool to the touch. She carried it to the window overlooking the backyard.</p><p>“Ready?”</p><p>The man retreated into his pyre.</p><p>Addison threw the bowl like a frisbee, giving it a bit of a spin before it glided to the ground.</p><p>Only the ground did not stop it. The bowl drilled itself into the ground as the fire grew, encompassing a hula hoop sized area and stretching upward seven feet.</p><p>The fire brake, and a leather clad man with a rock n roll vibe stood in its place.</p><p>He looked up at the window, finding the snow haired girl agape.</p><p>He grinned “Didn’t catch your name.”</p><p>“Addison,” she yelled down.</p><p>“So, Addison,” he spread his arms like a victor “How’s it feel to meet a god in the flesh?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. The Hospital</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hades, as he called himself, was none too keen on answering questions.</p>
<p>“You said you were the god of the dead. What exactly does that mean?”</p>
<p>“I don’t remember telling you that,” he said as he continued by her side. He’d have walked ahead to avoid her already, but she was the only one who knew where they were going.</p>
<p>“I overheard you and Mal talking about it.”</p>
<p>“So I got an eavesdropper,” he gave Addison a devilish grin “Hope you don’t know too much.”</p>
<p>Addison turned white and gulped. She knew that what she was doing was in the moral grey area, but, if he was god of the dead, maybe he could pull a few strings for Zed.</p>
<p>“This is the hospital,” Addison said as the approached the overhang above the entrance.</p>
<p>“Alright, what room,” Hades said.</p>
<p>Addison stopped Hades with her hand.</p>
<p>“We’re going to the morgue first,” she said without making eye contact.</p>
<p>“Excuse me?”</p>
<p>“I said,” she straightened up “We are going to the morgue first.”</p>
<p>Scowling, Hades crossed his arms “So this is what this is all about. You don’t care about Mal; you just want someone back. Who is it? A sibling? A friend? A lover?”</p>
<p>Addison looked away.</p>
<p>“A lover then. I can’t go granting exceptions to everyone. Then the world would be overrun with—”</p>
<p>“She killed him.” Addison said flatly</p>
<p>Fire emerged from Hades’s scalp and ran up his hair “No. She didn’t.”</p>
<p>Addison trembled, becoming acutely aware of how much the god towered over her “He died saving her.”</p>
<p>The fire dissipated “Now that I might believe.” he adjusted his jacket “Fine. Let’s take a look at loverboy.”</p><hr/>
<p>Nobody had come by to identify him yet, so seeing Zed was as simple as walking in.</p>
<p>The mortician, a slim lady with a pasty complexion that bordered on being dead herself, uncovered the sheet.</p>
<p>Zed was stiff with his arms frozen above him, practically mummified. </p>
<p>“Could we get some time alone, please?” Hades asked the woman.</p>
<p>She nodded “All the time you need.”</p>
<p>Hades waited for the woman to exit before grabbing a scalpel from a side table.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Addison gasped.</p>
<p>“Relax, I’m using the handle end,” Hades leaned over Zed’s face and used the handle to open an eyelid. He pointed at the eye and a little flame sprung from his fingertip “I’m basically my daughter, but worse.”</p>
<p>Addison stared at the man waving the flame about “Can you bring him back?”</p>
<p>“Don’t have to.”</p>
<p>“But what about—”</p>
<p>Hades cut off Addison with a glare that cut straight through her “I don’t have to because he’s still in there.” he gestured her over “Look at his pupil.” He waved his finger about, and Addison watched Zed’s pupil retract and grow as the light came and left “He’s not dead; yet. His body tensed up to try and keep in as much life as it could, like how you tense up when you’re cold. He just needs a boost of life force.”</p>
<p>“Where do I get that?”</p>
<p>“Your best bet is to get it in its solid form. It’ll look like a glowing blue stone.”</p>
<p>Addison grinned “Mal is in room 211 under guard. Go on up without me.”</p>
<p>“Where do you think you're going?”</p>
<p>Addison backed out of the room “To get a moonstone.”</p><hr/>
<p>“Hey! What’re you—”</p>
<p>Mal heard a slam on the wall of her room.</p>
<p>The guards drew their weapons. The door popped open nonchalant as her father sauntered in, leaving a wake of simmering footprints.</p>
<p>“Freeze,” the one on her left said.</p>
<p>Hades showed the guards his palms “I think you two should run along.”</p>
<p>Left reached for his shoulder, only to have the device combust with a snap of Hades’s fingers. The man beat his shoulder, dropping his guard. Righty reached for the ice chips on Mal’s side table to throw on it. Lefty ripped off his shirt and threw it to the ground.</p>
<p>Hades laughed.</p>
<p>
  <em>Just like Pain and Panic.</em>
</p>
<p>He reached his hand out to his daughter “Let’s get going.”</p>
<p>“I can’t.”</p>
<p>“We can get your friends afterward.”</p>
<p>“Dad,” Mal choked out “It burns when I move.”</p>
<p>“Can you give me a second” Hades snapped behind him at the buffoon guards “Run!” </p>
<p>The guards complied. </p>
<p>Hades sat down on his daughter’s bedside. He brushed his daughter’s forehead, feeling the eldritch forces swirling within her, tearing her apart.</p>
<p>“Honey,” Hades moved his hands to his shoulders “I’m gonna fix you, but you need to know that it will hurt.”</p>
<p>Mal nodded “Do it.”</p>
<p>Hades took a deep breath, concentrating on the energy snaking through her, calling them to his core.</p>
<p>Mal winced as the power snaked out of her.</p><hr/>
<p>Addison slipped into the morgue again, white knuckles around her moonstone necklace. She never wore the thing. She could never quite put a finger on why, too afraid she’d lose it, she guessed.</p>
<p>She ran her finger through his hair. If he was alive, he might be awake.</p>
<p>“Hey, Zed, it’s Addison,” she cooed down at him “I’m gonna try something, so don’t panic. Okay?”</p>
<p>Zed gave no response. </p>
<p>She fiddled with the Moonstone necklace in her fingers. </p>
<p><em>Now or never </em>she thought.</p>
<p>The moment the stone touched Zed’s chest, it stuck to his skin and sank so deep that Addison feared it might break his ribs. The blue glow of the stone bled into him, stretching itself as it ombréed into white. </p>
<p>The stone fizzled out and became clear, rising up then falling with his chest.</p>
<p>She put her hand on Zed’s face “Zed?”</p>
<p>Zed groaned.</p>
<p>Tears welled in Addison’s eyes. She bent over and kissed him hard and passionately. A hard rose to touch her face.</p>
<p>She pulled away to stare at his groggy eyes. </p>
<p>“How?” he muttered.</p>
<p>Addison grinned. There was too much to explain for now. Besides, explanation always ruins the moment.</p>
<p>“Let’s call it true love’s kiss.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Many of you are probably thinking "How dare you do that to my emotions if you were going to bring him back?" There is a logical explanation *runs to endnotes of next chapter*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Concerned Parents</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*catches breath after running from last chapter's end notes* This why I did that. Thanks for reading and commenting. I love all of you.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hades backed away from his daughter, the life she had absorbed now within him. He focused inward, letting it flow through him like dye in water. He stared down at his daughter. </p><p>He had never really been the best of fathers, but he was trying his hardest to make up for lost time. Brushing the bluish-purple locks behind her ear, Hades smiled at the chance to take care of her.</p><p>“How’s daddy’s little girl now?”</p><p>Mal rolled her eyes at her dad’s bon mot “Better, but you need to get out of here. Those guards have to have called for backup by now.”</p><p>“Let’s go,” he reached for Mal’s hand to find her recoiling.</p><p>“I got everyone into this mess because I panicked when the zombies went crazy and became a dragon. I have to get them out.” Mal’s head fell “Dad, I killed someone.”</p><p>“No, Mal, you didn’t. That Zed guy isn’t dead. The girl that summoned me is probably walking out of the building with him right now.”</p><p>“Dad,” Mal’s face contorted in fear “You resurrected him?”</p><p>“No, he wasn’t dead in the first place.”</p><p>Mal put her hand on her chest “Thank...you I guess. For a second I thought we had another Meg on our hands.”</p><p>Hades remembered back all those centuries ago to Megara, pleading to him to bring back her dead lover. He did so in exchange for servitude, keeping her until his defeat by Hercules.</p><p>“You can see what happened last time the Mayor thought her daughter was in trouble.”</p><p>An idea hatched in his brain.</p><p>“Maybe it would be best if we did have another Meg.”</p><p>“But she isn’t in servitude.”</p><p>Boots on linoleum echoed down the corridors outside.</p><p>“I know, but perhaps it would be better to speak with her as one concerned parent to another.”</p><p>“Freeze!”</p><p>The door busted open and half a dozen men entered, guns in hands, SWAT across chests.</p><p>Hades put his hands behind his back and leaned over the hospital bed.</p><p>“Alright, you can have me, but I better see this Mayor of yours, for her and her daughter’s sake.”</p>
<hr/><p>Armed guards escorted Mayor Wells  down the corridors of Zombie containment since regular human holding cells were clearly not enough to hold these threats. They stopped before a metal door, indicative of a maximum security cell.</p><p>The guard on her right spoke into his shoulder radio “Unlock cell 20B.”</p><p>Clanking of metal reverberated through the walls as the lock glowed green. The left guard held open the door for his partner and the Mayor before entering himself, letting the door shut behind them.</p><p>Hades, arms behind back, sat on his slab on a bunk before the trio, grinning wide at the two red dots affixed to his chest.</p><p>“Hello, Missy.”</p><p>“You will call me by my title, not my name,” she said flatly. Names were arbitrary. Titles were control.</p><p>“Your name is <em>Missy</em>,” Hades laughed “Guess your parents had to think hard on that one.”</p><p>“Since it seems you called me here to taunt me,” she turned to leave.</p><p>“Then again, my daughter’s just named after her mom, Maleficent.”</p><p>Missy turned back to Hades. The name had no meaning in those parts, but there was something familiar about it “Maleficent?” she muttered. It dawned on her “Your Mal’s father.”</p><p>“Guilty as charged.”</p><p>“So you come here to break your daughter out of jail,” she returned to her place between the two guards “How touching.”</p><p>“I’m not here for that. I could have taken her out days ago if that was the issue, but those other kids…” he paused, drawing her in “Them I have less control over.”</p><p>“Don’t play games with me. I don’t have all day.”</p><p>“I’m not trying to play games. I’m just a concerned parent,” he leaned back onto the wall, pulling his hands forward, tossing a pair of melted cuffs to her feet “And I want what’s best for our kids.”</p><p>Wells froze. </p><p><em>Our kids</em>. Not my kid. Not the kids. <em>Our kids</em>.</p><p>The fact she had not seen her child since dropping her off at home after the beach drifted into her mind.</p><p>“What did you do to my daughter!” she snapped.</p><p>“Nothing, nothing, I didn’t do a single thing to her. For her, on the other hand…”</p><p>“For her? You shouldn’t even know her.”</p><p>“I do, though. I also know that friend of hers. What was his name? Zed?”</p><p>She stayed silent. The kid was dead. She saw it happen right before her. </p><p>“Your daughter killed him.”</p><p>“Your daughter brought him back.”</p><p>Wells laughed, but there was no humor in it.</p><p>“All you are is a liar.”</p><p>“Call her yourself. And, when you do, just remember that nothing is ever free.”</p><p>Hades shifted so he was lying down on his bunk. He took out a pair of shades and covered his eyes for effect. Mayor Wells nodded to the guard, cueing the procession to exit.</p><p>She pulled out her phone to text her daughter.</p><p>
  <em>Are you at home right now?</em>
</p><p>Addison texted back almost immediately.</p><p>
  <em>Addison: I’m at a friend’s place.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Which one?</em>
</p><p><em>Addison:</em> <em>Bree’s</em></p><p>Mayor Wells went to her friend finder app and a map of Seabrook popped up. She saw her daughter’s face moving near their house, close enough that she could be on a walk. She zoomed in, the page buffered for a minute and, almost on top of her daughter, Zed’s icon emerged.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Resolution</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is it! Prepare yourselves for the super long final chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zed used Addison as a cane as he hobbled his way through the hospital lobby. His whole body was sore like the day after a workout, but there were different things to focus on.</p>
<p>Namely the hoard of SWAT escorting a punk rocker his height out the door and into an armored vehicle.</p>
<p>Zed felt the new life in him push against his chest like it wanted out as the man passed.</p>
<p>“It’s him,” Addison whispered as he passed “That’s the man who helped me save you.”</p>
<p>Zed watched as the doors of the van slammed shut and locked. </p>
<p>Zed shuttered. He had seen death that day twice.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The walk home was slow, stopping to sit on the bench outside, the bench at the bus station, the ground. Zed was weak, Addison knew, but he would recover.</p>
<p>Zed sat himself on the driveway of Addison’s front yard.</p>
<p>“Come on, Zed,” Addison put her hand on Zed’s shoulder “Only a few feet until we’re in the house.”</p>
<p>“Addison,” Zed ran his hand through his hair “What are we doing?”</p>
<p>She sat down beside him, fully aware he wasn’t talking about their trip. “I don’t know.”</p>
<p>“Things were normal last week.”</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>“And this morning I <em>died</em>.” He lifted his right hand and studied it “And now I’m alive again.”</p>
<p>“Hades said that you weren’t dead. You tensed up as a fight or flight response.”</p>
<p>“Still. we thought werewolves were impossible until a few months ago; we thought dragons were impossible until yesterday morning.”</p>
<p>“I thought summoning a god was impossible until two hours ago.”</p>
<p>Zed laughed “There is no way that guy was a god.”</p>
<p>“He was!” Addison smiled.</p>
<p>Zed moved his hand so that it supported him, feeling his fingertips eke onto the freshly cut grass. “Things are changing.”</p>
<p>“I guess they are.”</p>
<p>The two watched cars go by while Zed recharged. Life had gotten good, but he couldn’t help but wonder what other impossible things were out there.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Mayor Wells barged back into the cell “I don’t know what game you’re trying to play, I swear—”</p>
<p>“Swear what?” Hades interrupted nonchalantly, “Hurt my daughter? Funny threat against a god.”</p>
<p>Mayor Wells pursed her lips and clenched her fists to keep her whole body from shaking. Truth was, she had made a mistake. Whether it was provoking them or letting them in was irrelevant. </p>
<p>Hades slipped off his glasses and leaned up “Now can we settle this?”</p>
<p>Mayor Wells thought back to the beach. She had seen Zed crumble before her as the children were arrested, all her doing. If Addison brought this man here at her own risk, it was also her doing. She had fought so hard to maintain the community’s standards, but a community was its people.</p>
<p>And her daughter was the most important among them.</p>
<p>“I believe we can come to an arrangement.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>They had all been separated but placed in the same general area. Speaking was prohibited, but they all asked each other the same question with their eyes.</p>
<p>Where’s Mal?</p>
<p>Evie picked at her nails. Jay leaned on his leg to try and keep it from bouncing. Ben sat staring at the wall, retreating inward.</p>
<p>Carlos laid down on the bunk in his individual cell, staring up at the ceiling. He knew that he should feel dread for what was to come or fear that they might not make it, but he found himself unable to spiral.</p>
<p>He remembered the days back on the Isle before they all met and became friends. He hung out with Harry and Jace—the inept sons of his mother’s cronies, Horace and Jasper—because his mom didn’t want him going out alone and getting jumped. They were together out of fear, nothing more.</p>
<p>Then he found Evie, and Evie and him found Mal and Jay. They formed a pack before they even knew the word.</p>
<p>Whatever happened, they still had that bond.</p>
<p>“<em>Attention, guard unit.</em>” The radios on the guards' shoulders chimed “<em>This is Mayor Wells.</em>”</p>
<p>The VKs perked up.</p>
<p>“<em>Do you read?</em>”</p>
<p>The man in front of Carlos’s cell pressed the device and spoke.</p>
<p>“This is guard unit reading you.”</p>
<p>“<em>Bring prisoners to Site A.</em>”</p>
<p>The man hesitated “You want them at Site A. Confirm?”</p>
<p>“<em>Confirm.</em> <em>A van is outside ready for you</em>.”</p>
<p>The man nodded at his peers and grabbed the keys from his waist.</p>
<p>One by one, the locks clicked themselves. The VKs felt hands gripped to their shoulders like epaulettes, guiding them down the corridors to their fate.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Sunlight split through the opening van doors. Ben felt the epaulettes return as he prepared to lead his friends into the unknown.</p>
<p>But this was not the unknown.</p>
<p>Ben found himself at the Marina. Smaller boats lined the docks leading up to a grand ship, <em>their</em> ship, resting in anticipation like photographers on a runway.</p>
<p>At the end of the runway, standing with the presence of a model, was a little purple haired woman, backed by a blue haired man and a blue pastel pants suit.</p>
<p>“Mal!” Ben yelled as he tried to make a run for it. The other VKs leapt from the van, only to be thrust back in by determined hands.</p>
<p>The once honored guests were led in a single file line down the docks.</p>
<p>Mayor Wells had the same askance expression she wore the day they first met as she stared down at Ben “We have come to an agreement.”</p>
<p>Ben gulped. An agreement could mean anything. An agreement could mean <em>owing </em>anything.</p>
<p>“Don’t be so formal,” Hades patted the woman on the back “I just paid bail is all.”—he pointed at the ship— “Your stuff is even on the boat.”</p>
<p>Ben nodded and turned to the Mayor “I wish things could have turned out in a way we both benefitted. Perhaps, in the future—”</p>
<p>“None of you are coming back,” Hades interjected, “Part of the deal.”</p>
<p>Ben nodded as the hands on his shoulders retracted. He watched the VKs make their way onto the ship, not even attempting to move until he saw they were safely on board. He lingered at Mayor Wells for a moment. </p>
<p>She still stood tall, but something in her eyes knew she was defeated. He tried to find anything else in there, shame, remorse, sorrow, only to come up short handed.</p>
<p>He made his way onto the ship. Carlos was safe. They had gotten what they came for, but Ben still held a twinge of sadness that they had not established anything in Seabrook.</p>
<p>They never could have with that woman.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Mal rummaged through her suitcase as the boat set off. </p>
<p>The five of them (minus Hades, who had vanished in an inferno back to the Underworld once the ship left) had already done inventory on their bags, knowing full well that the people they just left did not bother to handle with care. However, Mal seemed more determined to find something than everyone else.</p>
<p>“What’s missing?” Ben said as he hovered over his fiancee.</p>
<p>Mal pulled away, an uncharacteristic grin on her face “My box of ingredients isn’t here.”</p>
<p>“You seem almost happy about that.”</p>
<p>“I am,” Mal zipped her bag back up “Because the last person to have it was Addison, which means that Addison still has the ability to do practice magic.”</p>
<p>“Mal, you can’t possibly think those people would be responsible with magic!”</p>
<p>Mal laughed “Not those people. <em>Addison</em>.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Was the ride there this long,” Carlos had asked Mal on day three.</p>
<p>“Longer,” she replied “Sure, the wind was better, but we didn’t have you.” she looked out at the dancing water as they entered mermaid controlled sea “Three days was so much longer then.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry we had to leave,” Mal bowed her head “that you couldn’t learn what it means to be a werewolf.”</p>
<p>“I learned that I am a werewolf by leaving.”</p>
<p>Mal turned to face her friend and blinked.</p>
<p>Carlos leaned onto the rail of the ship “There was one thing that the wolves were able to teach me: stick with your pack, because your pack always sticks with you. If I stayed, I’d be abandoning the pack that saved me.”</p>
<p>Mal put her arm around Carlos. She had been hesitant to embark on this journey, believing magic could fix things, but she should have known from her time in Auradon that magic was not always the best solution.</p>
<p>Some things you had to just do yourself.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Addison put up a minimal fight against the men who came into her house to take away the bags in the guest bedroom. All they were taking was clothes, and, for once, she decided that she needed to pick her battles.</p>
<p>Her mom was refusing to let Zed in the house again, but, after three days of guarding Addison like a hawk, her mom was forced to return to the office.</p>
<p>Addison sat on her bed and showed her new box of treasures to Zed.</p>
<p>“So where’s the eye of newt?” Zed asked as he picked through the vials of herbs..</p>
<p>Addison lifted up a little jar “This is labeled eye of newt, but these are definitely mustard seeds.”</p>
<p>Zed unscrewed it and sniffed “Maybe it’s slang.”</p>
<p>“Or a vegan substitute.” Addison picked up an empty vial labeled POMEGRANATE SEEDS. An idea crept into her mind as she recalled the words she had heard Mal speak that day.</p>
<p>
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                              <em>“Twist of hand, </em>
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                              <em>and twist of fate, </em>
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                              <em>leave the ground </em>
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<p><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em>and levitate!</em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em>The little tube floated up half an inch, leaving the two with grins.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You're here! You made it! Thank you all for reading and commenting. This is by far the longest fic I've ever written (longer than my other current fics combined). I love all of you, Mes Amis!</p>
<p>-x</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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